§ 2. Mr. MIDDLEMOREasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in the event of there being at the end of 1915 an insufficient number of completed "Dreadnoughts" to provide for the maintenance of a 50 per cent. superiority over Germany in Home waters and also a force of four or six of these vessels in the Mediterranean, he will state whether the Admiralty would deplete our necessary strength in the Mediterranean to ensure the presence of an adequate number of ships in Home waters or vice versâ?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThis is one of those hypothetical questions which it is best not to answer.
§ Mr. MIDDLEMOREIs not this beyond hypothesis, that after the end of 1915 we shall only have two "Dreadnoughts" to spare for the Mediterranean, after providing for the 50 per cent.?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI am much obliged to the hon. Member for the information.