The Naval Estimates were again under discussion in the Commons
on Monday. On the vote for a hundred and twenty-eight thousand officers, seamen, and Coastguards, Mr. Robertson defended the Home Fleet as a real fleet in being, and denied that there was any ground for the injurious criticisms passed on it or the nucleus-crew division. Mr. Lee contended that if the German `Dreadnoughts' could be built in less than two years, they would upset the figures as to relative strength given by the Secretary to the Admiralty. This point was also insisted on by Mr. Bellaire, who declared that in rapidity of building we were no longer superior to Germany, and condemned the advertisement of the Dreadnought,' which had led to a mad, deplorable race in the construction of the most powerful vessels. Mr. Balfour followed, contending that the Government, as they held that the international situation did not call for the construction of new ships, ought to have laid out more money on permanent works such as Rosyth. He also dwelt at length on the question of the balance of power in battleships of the newest type, and argued that the existing comparative rate of building gave rise to serious misgivings. Mr. Murray Macdonald's amendment to reduce the personnel by eight thou- sand men having been negatived without a division, Vote I. was agreed to, after the Closure had been carried by 189 votes to 43.
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