in the field is to be welcomed rather than deplored. We may give the members of that body credit for being inspired with motives as patriotic as those of theavy League itself and can only trust that the discussion it provokes will result in the truth being established. To those of our readers who may be in doubt as to whether the declara- tion of the Navy League merits their signa- ture or not, and who may lack the time, opportunity, or ability to analyse the figures for themselves, we commend the following plain and dispassionate statement, which we take from the Naval and Military Record:
[January 6 1897. LOCAL AND DISTRICT EVENTS 1896.
JANUARY
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND prior to 1880, All carry breech-loading guns, but of these ten not one could be sent against our latest vessels. They can only be compared with the older ships of England, which we have temporarily eliminated from the calculation. Thus, France has, at the present moment, 19 effective battleships and six under construction.
mosa; suppressed on the 3rd-Taikoo Athlone That these are fully capable of engaging the bat-2nd--Murder and Suicide at Shanki
**Sports._____ tle-ships of England is not, we believe, disputed. As regards the Russian navy, it is to be ob served that all the battleships except the Peter
Velki have been built since 1880, so that we cannot credit Russia with less than nine vessels of the line of battle. She has also eight under construction. Hence it will be seen that if war were declared to-morrow between this country and the Allies there would be 28 battleships of the first line on both sides. In other words, our naval supremacy is seriously menaced, owing to our neglect to reject muzzle-loading guns until some years after our rivals. An equality of battleships cannot ensure our supre- macy, though it cannot be denied that we possess a bare equality of strength at the pre- sent moment. Hence, until we have recovered from the delay in adopting breech-loading guns, we shall be unwise to relax our efforts, or to consent without strong protest to any reduction of expenditure upon the fleet.
The apparently simple task of comparing one nayy with another is, in reality, one of extreme difficulty. Some light-hearted critics are even content to take tonnage as the standard of measurement, and to assure us, on the strength of simple arithmetic, that our naval supremacy is assured. Other critics, again, have en- deavoured to arrive at a definite conclusion by merely counting ships. It is needless to insist that neither method can furnish convincing results. In comparing one fleet of battleships with another we must take account of such points as speed, armament, coal capacity, period As regards the immediate future we cannot of construction, and so forth; any other method as yet make a forcast, even to the close of the must be misleading and valueless. Again, we century. We have now 12 ships building, as may point out that estimates of future relative compared with 14 in the dockyards of the strength need to be made upon precise data, and Allies-or 15, if we include the ship about that it is absolutely useless to attempt to fore- to be laid down at Nicolaieff. If, which cast relative naval power in the remote future, see- is of course absurd, no more ships were laid ing that no man can say what or how many ships down on either side until the close of the will be laid down from year to year. This is century, the Allies would outnumber us by one of the errors into which Mr. W. H. WIL- three battleships on the completion of the SON has fallen in his anxiety to show that present programmes. It is obviously fruitless further efforts in shipbuilding are imperative to consider this danger, except with due reser for this country. Such arguments tend in-vations. That we shall continue to lay down evitably to excite the ire of those who are op- more ships under Mr. GosCHEN's administra- posed to large expenditures upon armamente, tion cannot for a moment be doubted, and we and, on the whole, do harm rather than good. trust that a sufficient number will be voted At the same time we hasten to acquit Mr. WIL to counteract the recent activity of France SON of any such intentions. He is simply an and Russia. We can build faster than any injudicious enthusiast who has unconsciously ex- other Power, and during the next five years aggerated the naval force of our rivals, and who is
we shall only need money to render our disposed to demand a standard of strength which position tolerably secure. Thus, there is no we shall never attain. That the conclusions of cause for alarm, provided we continue our the secretary of the Increased Armaments Pro- efforts, and no real danger, we trust, of the test Committee are absurdly prejudiced and op- relaxation which is apprehended from the First timistic, no naval officer will deny. This oritic Lord's recent speeches. But, on the other not only takes tonnage as the estimate of relative band, there is some danger that Parliament force, but ignores armament and other essential may fail to realise the weakness of the 16 details.
battleshipg still armed with obsolete weapons, and that these vessels may be officially included in our first line of defence. Our future pro- gramme should depend upon the shipbuilding efforts made by the Allies during the next few years, and to ensure the national safety it is absolutely imperative, in our opinion, that England should possess a superiority in battle- ships of modern construction and armament. The year 1897 ought to witness the laying down of at least six new battleships, over and above those already in the official programme. "If," said RICHARD COBDEN, "the French Govern- "ment showed a sinister design to increase their navy to an equality with ours, then, after "every explanation to prevent such an absurd waste, I should vote one hundred millions sterling rather than allow that navy to be in- creased to a level with ours.” France has never attained the quality which COBDEN dreaded; but France in alliance with Russia may be said to have done so,
To turn to facts, we have, as the return shows, a sum total of 45 battleships of all types, and we have 12 under construction. France and Russia combined have 39 built and 14 build- ing. Of the 45 British battleships, no less than 16 were completed prior to 1880, and are armed with muzzle-loading guns. We are far from asserting that these 16 ships possess no fighting value, but it is by no means easy even for qualified experts to determine what that value precisely is. It has not been found possible to fit these ships with modern main armaments, and it is seriously questioned whether they could be safely in- cluded in the line of battle. Possibly they may be deemed fit to engage some of the older ships of the allies, but it has to be remembered that even the older vessels of France and Russia are armed with breechloading guns. We shall not attempt to classify these 16 battleships, but we cannot admit them to be fit to meet the first shook of war in the line of battle. There are also other ships, such as the Bellerophon, built in 1865, the. Hero and Conqueror, and Thunderer and Devastation, which even the can scarcely be reckoned with safety as fully suitable for the line of battle. Still, we have 23 battleships built since 1880 and armed with breech-loading guns, and these are practically the ones upon which the safety of the empire would depend if war broke out to-morrow. And n many of these are superior in displace. speed, and even in armament, to the best rest ships of the Allies. A fine fleet, And yet not strong enough to ensure gainst the Allies.
to the French battleships, we find out of the total of 29 already built are obsolete. Biz these are built of wood and have been condemned, and all ten were built
+
let-Rising against Japanese in North To
well gathering at the Soldiers and Sailors Institute. 6th-Modification of Light and Pass Regul
tions.
8th-Piracy near Hongkong two men shot 9th-Demonstration of Admiral Makaron a col- 11th-Arrival of the steamer Bonnington, sup
lision buffer.
13th-Armed robbery at Quarry Baya
posed to be lost.. 15th-Roof of a building in the Mosque com- pound fell in; three men injured Fire 30, Winglok Street. 16th-Departure of Sir Fielding Clarke, Chief Justice, for England Steamer Powan went aground in Canton river; no damage. in the basement of the old Victoria Hotel 17th--Opening of Hongkong Chinese Chamber 18th-Laying of the foundation stone of the Po Leung Kuk Society's new home by H.E. the Governor.Suicide of Captain Innes, of the Kutwo, at Shanghai. 20th-Steamer On Sang ran on Dunmail rook
vessel badly damaged. 23rd-Address by Admiral Makaroff at City Hall on his device for minimising the effects of collisions at sea.
of Commerce.
25th-Fire at 205 Queen's Road West;
woman and child burnt to death. 27th-Distribution of Prizes at the Diocesan School and Orphanage by H.E, the Governor.
At Shanghai on the 23rd December, at about ten minutes to eight in the evening, a fire broke out in a native house situated off the Seward Road, some distance below the Hongkew Creek. The two Hongkew companies were promptly on the scene, followed soon after by those from the English Settlement, and no time was lost in getting to work, though much difficulty was experienced owing to want of hydrants. The cold was intense and in a short time some of the men presented the appearance of moving icebergs. The strong wind blowing greatly retarded the efforts of the firemen and it was only after three blocks, containing about| ten houses, had been completely destroyed that the fire was got under. The cause of the out, break is at present unknow NO. Daily | Nawazud
28th-Funeral of Dr. Okotine, of the Imperator
Nicolai I.
30th-Gymnastic meeting at Victoria Recrea tion Club.-Collapse of 13 houses at Shanghai. 31-Return of U.S. Chengtu Commission
Shanghai.
FEBRUARY.
1st-Fire at 302, Queen's Road Central. 5th-Presentations to Dr. Cantlie-Attempted
escape from gaol.
|
6th.-Prize distribution at Queen's (College-
Fires at 56, Jervois Street, and 55, 57, and 59, Queen's Road West.-Distribution of ambulance certificates to the police by Major- General Black,
8th-"Creatures of Impulse" and "Trial by Jury" at Theatre Royal by A.D.CFire 133, Praya West.-Destructive fire at Yoko- hama,
11th-Li Hung-chang ordered to St. Peters.
burg as special envoy. 15th-Edgar Relief Fund Concert. 16th--Barque Lynnwood wrecked on the Pratas 17th--Masonic Jubiles Ball at City Hall
Conviction of Russian officers for sketching. forts. 20th-Hongkong Race Meeting. 21st-Hongkong Race Meeting. 22nd-Hongkong Race Meeting. 23rd-Armed robbery at 169, Queen's Road West.-Explosion at Kiangyin; 200 lives lost. 26th-Fire at 309, Queen's Road Central 27th-Singapore declared Hongkong
fected port.
MARCH,
4th-Centenary of the London Missionar So- ciety; public meeting in City Hall. -Open- ing of new Hongkong Golf House. 5th-The Humber ashore on the Pescadore 7th-Hongkong Football Cup Fi 9th Arriv adventur Road Centra 10th Spond
schooner
Queer
Caps Varela-Out-
break of rind est at Dairy F 12th Armed robbery at Quarry Bay: 16th-St. Patrick's Dance.
26th Concert by Philharmonic Society at Cit
Hall,
28th Annual dinner of Hongkong Football
Club. ^___ 29th--The Frejr ashore at Cape Cami
1st
APE
Li Hung cha
h the eturn of Mr. John Andro
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