M. Lockroy, on Tuesday, brought forward in the Chamber the
indictment against the Navy, which he and M. ClemEnceau have carefully prepared. His grand points are that the French coast, and especially Cherbourg, are insufficiently protected, that Corsica could not resist an Italian attack, that the French men - of - war are insufficient in number and deficient in speed, that the dreaded torpedo-boats could not be sent to sea, and that the naval stores are so care'essly kept up that it would be days before a fleet could, in any emergency, be despatched anywhither. The Government, of course, reply that these statements are untrue, especially as regards Cherbourg, and that the Navy is equal to all require- ments. A Commission of Inquiry has, however, been granted, and the truth of one portion of the indictment appears to be tacitly or openly admitted. The arsenals and the com- missariat stores are not kept sufficiently full, it may be in order to save money required for construction, or it may be because those departments are just the places where the dry-rot of corruption is most likely to exist. The French Navy ought to be the best in the world, because it is left so exclusively to the profession, hut, as a matter of fact, is independence tends to produce catelessness, especially in the departments of supply. We must, of course, remember that those who attack the French Navy are not unwilling to provide the British Government with arguments against too great an expenditure on ships.
