§ Mr. ROBERT HARCOURTasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, seeing that the "Oldenburg" was officially ordered in April, 1909, and effectively commenced some months previously, while the expected date of delivery from the shipyard is the spring of 1912, it is to be assumed that the normal period of construction for German Dreadnoughts is three years and several months; or, in the alternative, whether the so-called anticipation of beginning this vessel has in no way expedited the date of completion?
§ Mr. McKENNAIt would be unsafe to assume an average period of construction from the case of a particular ship.