BOOKS.
WARSHIPS OF THE WORLD.*
PUBLIC interest in naval affairs has been greatly stimulated by the debates in Parliament and discussions outside which have taken place during the last few months. As a con- sequence, new editions of the three books of reference mentioned below will be welcomed; they bring information up to date, and enable readers to form opinions on the comparative strength of the Royal Navy. All three books have an established position, the Naval Annual having reached its twenty-third year of publication, Fighting Ships its twelfth, and the Pocket-Book its fourteenth. Each compila- tion has acquired distinctive characteristics and has a special value ; the fact that there is room and use for each is demonstrated by its continued publication. Indeed, the thirst for information has induced the Navy League to add a fourth Annual, of which two issues have appeared, and a third is announced. Of all these publications, Brassey's Naval Annual is not merely the oldest but the best ; it contains, in addition to statistical and pictorial information, a series of important articles by recognised authorities dealing with subjects of immediate interest, and the contributions of its founder, Lord Brassey, as well as those of Mr. Brassey, who has been the responsible editor for twenty years, are always weighty and suggestive. Fighting Ships bears through- out the impress of its editor's personality and opinions. Mr. Jane is no doubt fully entitled to express opinions, having devoted many years to the study of naval affairs, and the pictorial information he contributes is of unusual value. It cannot be denied, however, that what may be termed a "light- hearted" style prevails throughout, and ordinary readers may easily confuse authentic information with more or less speculative statements in which the editor indulges when official facts are lacking. The Pocket-Book, as its name implies, is more condensed and more limited in scope, but on the whole it is a handy and trustworthy epitome of known facts in regard to the war-fleets of the world.
Naturally great attention is given to the German Navy in all these publications, and those who desire to obtain informa- tion with respect to successive Navy Bills (from 1898 to 1908) by which the development of that Fleet has been governed cannot do better than study Mr. Leyland's admirable paper in the Naval Annual on the naval expansion of Germany. A clear summary of facts is associated with an impartial state- ment of German policy and an unfaltering assertion of the need for maintaining British naval supremacy at all costs. German secrecy has caused trouble to all the editors, and has led them into conflicting statements in regard to the particulars for the new battleships and cruisers. Mr. Brassey reiterates the opinions he has previously expressed that the policy of professed secrecy, introduced by the British Admiralty when the ' Dreadnought ' and ' Invincible ' classes were laid down in 1905, is unwise, and in our case is practically inoperative ; whereas the German Admiralty, which formerly published freely all details for ships building or to be built, have followed our lead and have effectively kept their secrets. A striking illustration of this effective secrecy may be mentioned.
Mr. Jane states that, after facing large expenditure on the search for information respecting the new German ships, he can give the details of armament for their first so-called 'Dreadnoughts '—the 'Nassau' class—two of which are to be ready -for service in November next. According to Mr. Jane, each of these vessels will carry ten 11-inch guns and twenty 44-inch ; tie Naval Annual gives twelve 11-inch, twelve 61-inch, and thirty-one smaller guns; the Pocket-Book gives twelve 11-inch, twelve 61-inch, and eight 3-4-inch. Early this month (July) the German naval annual, Nauticus, has at length given the true details of the armament of the 'Nassau' class, which includes twelve 12-inch, twelve 5.9-inch, and sixteen 3.4-inch guns. Our ' Dreadnought,' to which the 'Nassaus' were a reply, is armed with ten 12-inch and twenty- seven 3-inch guns; the 'Bellerophon' class carries ten 12-inch and sixteen 4-inch guns. Mr. Brassey speaks of the 'Dread- nought ! type as "being almost universally copied in foreign 11 (1) The Naval Annual, 1906. Edited by T. A. Brassey. Portsmouth : Griffin and Co. 12s. 6d. net..]—(2) Fighting 'Ships, 1909. Edited by P. T. Jane. London: 'Sampson Low, Marston, and Co. [21s. net.]—(3) The Naval Pocket•Book, 1909. Edited by G. laird Clowes. London: Thacker and Co. rile ed, net.] navies "; but clearly this is not correct, since he himself states that the German shiim have a powerful secondary armament of 6.7-inch guns (really, 5-9-inch), and admits that such an adjunct to the heavy guns is regarded by many authorities as of immense value in adding to fighting-power. As a matter of fact, neither Germany, the United States, France, Japan, nor Italy has copied the 'Dreadnought' in armament, or abandoned a powerful . secondary armament protected by armour; and their policy is preferred by leading British authorities. German writers dwell upon the fact that " the light batteries of the British ships are badly placed and lack . effective protection."
In displacement tonnage the German battleships are about midway between the 'Dreadnought' (17,900 tons) and the 'Bellerophon' (18,600 tons). In engine-power the German ships closely approach the 'Dreadnoughts '; and although . their speed has been described as "over 19 knots," there is reason to believe that it will closely approach that of the 'Dreadnoughts.' The normal coal stowage is 950 tons, as against 900 tons for our ships ; and the bunkers can hold . 2,700 tons of coal, a supply as great as that of our ships. It is noteworthy, therefore, that Germany has departed from her earlier practice, and has given to these new vessels a fuel- endurance as suitable for ocean service as that possessed by British ships. Moreover, as above stated;- the German authorities have practically left rivals in doubt as to the real qualities of their new vessels until they are within three or four months of completion. A greater mistake was never made than when the British Admiralty started their system of secrecy in 1905.
While German progress naturally attracts most notice, . naval activity is not limited to that country, and the main facts as to new construction in the United States, France, Japan, Italy, Russia, and Austria are set forth in all the , annuals, being in substantial agreement, with statements made in the series of articles on the " Navies of the World " published in this journal about. six months ago. Attention is also called to the new departures made in minor Navies, such as those of Brazil and Argentina. The latter country has a programme, and is about to place orders for new ships. Chile will probably follow suit ; even Venezuela is on the move. In France and Russia steps are being taken, after 1png delays, to meet the German menace. Austria has not yet definitely decided on her programme, but has practically done so, and will probably work in harmony with Germany. Italy has decided to build four instead of two large battleships. On all sides the struggle for naval power and supremacy is becoming keener, and the need for corresponding action on our part is being emphasised, that action demanding increased expenditure. In these circumstances, it is a matter for congratulation that an Imperial. Conference on Naval Defence has been arranged, and is about to commence its sittings. The Naval Annual has long devoted attention to the subject of Colonial aid in the creation and mainte- nance of the war-fleet, and in this issue deals again with it and with the allied subject of the protection of British commerce and communications throughout the Empire. In the opinion of the present writer, attention has in recent years been unduly concentrated on the construction of battleships and large armoured cruisers, while commerce protection has been relatively weakened. This has been virtually admitted in the shipbuilding programmes of the current year and last year ; but unless vigorous efforts are made to remedy the evil, we may have reason to regret our inaction, and the hasty scrapping of ships which might have been of great service long after they were treated as obsolete.
The Naval Annual has interesting articles dealing with the development of marine engineering, dockyard management, ordnance, and armour, and in the appendix are reproduced statistical and official reports of value for reference. Fighting Ships is not so rich as usual in contributed articles, but those included are worth reading. One deals with marine engineering; and another by Captain Hovgaard, late of the Danish Navy, discusses in a scientific manner, and with reference to events in the Russo-Japanese War, the subject of protecting warships against under-water attacks —mines and torpedoes—which proved so formidable in that war, and will play an even more important part in the future.
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