§ 20. Mr. JOHN WILMOTasked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many new submarines may be added to the German Navy without conflicting with the recent Anglo-German Naval Agreement?
The FIRST LORD of the ADMIRALTY (Sir Bolton Eyres Monsell)The Anglo-German Naval Agreement only limits the total tonnage of the submarine force that Germany may acquire, without limiting the number of vessels, which depends on the size of the individual units. At the present time the completed tonnage of British submarines is approximately the figure to which the British Commonwealth is limited by the London Naval Treaty, namely, 52,700 tons. Under the terms of the Naval Agreement, except in the special circumstances indicated in the agreement, Germany may build up to 45 per cent. of this figure, namely, 23,715 tons, unless meanwhile the British submarine tonnage is reduced, when the figure to which Germany may build would be correspondingly reduced.
§ Mr. WILMOTCan the First Lord say whether the "special circumstances" which may arise will entitle Germany to build an unlimited number of submarines and whether they are the sole judges as to whether "special circumstances" have in fact arisen?
Sir B. EYRES MONSELLNo, Sir. The "special circumstances" may enable Germany to build up to equality with us, but that is the limit, and they have to tell us what they are going to do; to give us warning.
§ Mr. COCKSIs it not a fact that the German Government have said that they have the minimum requirement of submarines, and that even if we were to reduce the number of our submarines they will not necessarily reduce theirs?
§ 21. Mr. GEORGE HALLasked the First Lord of the Admiralty the average age of all capital ships of the naval Powers at the present time?
Sir B. EYRES MONSELLThe average age of the capital ships of the principal naval Powers at the present time is as follows: 1471
Years. British Commonwealth 18 United States 18 Japan 18½ France 22 Italy 20½ Germany 20 U.S.S.R. 21
§ 22. Mr. COCKSasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether a provisional programme of future British naval construction has been communicated to the German Government; and whether he is prepared to give the House particulars of this programme?
Sir B. EYRES MONSELLCertain provisional figures were communicated to the German Government as a basis of discussion. These figures, however, are hypothetical since they are dependent on the building programmes of other Powers, and to disclose them at the present juncture would be prejudicial to the success of the forthcoming Naval Conference.
§ Mr. COCKSDoes the First Lord mean to say that Hitler was given particulars of the provisional programme of the British Government which have been withheld from the British House of Commons?
Sir B. EYRES MONSELLWe have to put forward a hypothetical programme to every country with which we have conversations, not only to Germany, and the House of Commons has never pressed for those details. If the House of Commons does press, all I can say is, on good authority, that if they are disclosed it will ruin any chance of getting a naval conference.
§ 23. Mr. COCKSasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in view of the fact that Great Britain is bound by the London treaty not to begin to replace her capital ships until January, 1937, he has made any request to the German Government not to start the construction of capital ships under the Anglo-German agreement until that date?
§ Sir B. EYRES-MONSELLThe conversations with the German representatives were of necessity of a confidential nature, and it is not desirable, therefore, to state what passed, but, naturally the British representatives did their best to 1472 persuade the German Government to build up their fleet at a moderate rate. As was officially announced in Berlin recently, however, the first two German capital ships were laid down towards the end of 1934: the date of laying down any further ships has not yet been announced.
§ Mr. COCKSDoes that mean that the Government have given permission to the German Government to construct new powerful battleships at a time when our ships will be over 20 years of age?
Sir B. EYRES MONSELLIt is not a question of giving permission at all. It is a question of limiting the number of ships Germany will build.