IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2629, 11 October 1909, Page 5

IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

CABLE NEWS.

HITCH OVER CANADIAN GRAVING

DOCKS

Unitkd Fauna Association Copyright LONDON, Oct. 8.

The “Times” Ottawa correspondent reports that a rather serious hitch has arisen in reference to graving docks. Tire Admiralty urges the construction of larger docks on both seaboards, as more essential from the Imperial standpoint than the creation of a local fleet. The Esquimalt dock is considered too much exposed, and that a safer and larger dock in British Columbia is necessary. Similarly Halifax is considered too small for Dreadnoughts. The question whether the vessels should be built in Canada is exciting discussion. This will greatly enhance the cost, but many leaders of public opinion hold that the money must he spent in Canada if the naval scheme is to be made popular.

In March the “Standard” made the following remarks on the personnel of the Navy:—“The naval crisis with regard to the ship-building programme is sufficiently serious, and it has not unnaturally absorbed public attention since the First Lord’s memorable statement made last Tuesday. There is, however, another aspect of the question which is equally serious—in some respects incomparably more serious but which the Government have chosen tacitly to ignore altogether. It is the question of the personnel. That ships without men are absolutely useless would seem to be obvious to the meanest intelligence. There is here no technical difficulty involved. It is a plain, straightforward issue, intelligible to all. And it is the more significant of the policy which keeps Parliament in ignorance of the true state of naval affairs, that no explanation of the condition of the personnel has been given. It is, therefore, of the utmost importance that the country should realise immediately that, whether the Government decide to build four Dreadnoughts or eight, they have made no provision for a single officer or a single man of the crews for these vessels. If 17 or 20 of these ships are to be ready in 1912 there should have been 10,000 or 15,000 men under training two years ago. In addition, it is to be understood that no provision has been made for the supply of officers and men to the new ships now building. According to the First Lord’s statement explanatory of the Navy Estimates 1909-10 there will be under construction on April Ist six battleships, one armoured cruisers, 25 destroyers, six tor-pedo-boats, and 19 submarines. To man these vessels at least 10,000 men will be required. While a battleship may be built in something under three years it takes five or six years to train a man. . . . The number of men now in the estimates is barely sufficient to supply existing requirements. It is only possible even now to maintain the number of ships in commission—as distinguished from ships in active service with full complement'—by the expedient of manning them with nucleus crews. ’ ’