The country, continued Mr. Churchill, was now in the third
year of the aeries, and the Admiralty believed that the four ships already foreshadowed would be enough. We may point out here that the four ships of the present programme were formerly accepted as sufficient only because three ships were expected from Canada. Mr. Churchill himself explained that the Canadian ships were not a mere luxury, but were necessary for "whole-world" purposes. When the Canadian offer was tem- porarily wit hdrawn the Admiralty met the need by accelerating the constructicn of three ships last year. The benefits of that acceleration will have disappeared by nest year. What, then, is to be done to fill the gap ? This is really the essential problem of the Estimates. Mr. Churchill's answer was that there is to be an acceleration of two ships this year. This announcement was contained in a survey of the naval needs of the Mediterranean which must now be summarized.
