On Friday week in the Commons Mr. Churchill reviewed the
work of the Navy. His most important announcement was that there will be an accession of fifteen battleships by the end of 1915, as compared with a maximum reinforcement of three battleships in Germany. We could afford to lose a super-Dreadnought a month and still retain the superiority we bad at the beginning of the war. Mr. Churchill gave reasons for not discussing particular events which had been the subject of criticism, and these reasons were fully accepted by Mr. Boner Law. He then congratulated the country on the fact that the losses of the mercantile marine had been only 1.9 per cent. The estimate before the war had been 5 per cent. The danger from mines was being further restricted. He set the question of invasion aside with the remark that it would be an enterprise full of danger. There was no cause to complain of attrition in the Fleet from wear and tear. The refits were being regularly conducted, and the health of the sailors was nearly twice as good as in peace. There was nowhere ground for anxiety. Even if we were single-handed, we could continue to draw supplies and transport our troops wherever they were needed.
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