23 FEBRUARY 1924, Page 10

Of a thousand warships and auxiliaries building at the end

of the War 611 were abandoned forthwith. The Washington Treaty named twenty-four British capital ships for " scrapping." The British Government did not wait for the formal ratification of the Treaty before sending some of our finest vessels to the " scrap- heap." The German critic, Herr Kurt Hesse, whose brochure, entitled Der Triumph des Militarismus, is having a large sale in his own country, has paid us the compli- ment of admitting that " Britain's naval policy since the War has shown a genuine trend towards disarma- ment." * * *