The Statement explanatory of the Navy Estimates was issued last
Saturday. - The estimates in detail are not yet ready. It is unusual, if not unprecedented, for the Explanatory Statement to appear before the estimates themselves. The estimates, as compared with last year, are reduced by £2,400,100. It is pointed out, as in the case of the Air, that the economy is justified by the favourable international situation. The cost of new con- struction, however, has risen by nearly £2,000,000. We welcome the saving, of course, but frankly we should prefer a much bolder policy of economy on political, grounds. Surely the reasons which the Government itself gives for economy could safely be pressed much further. Indeed, we believe that a declaration to the world that we meant to set a good example by showing that we were in earnest about disarmament would prove in the end to be the line of greatest safety, and certainly of the greatest usefulness to progress. As things are the Departments are asked year after year for their minimum, demands, and technically the Departments make out an excellent case for presenting a very high minimum. It is the old story of the difficulty, if not the mpossibility, of cutting down anything which can be defined as " necessary."
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