THE WORLD'S NAVIES S i 



proportionately less. All things being taken into consideration, there is probably little 

 difference between the naval expenditure of Italy and Austria-Hungary, or even between 

 that of the United States and Japan, regarding what each gets for its money. 



Personnel. The number of active service ratings voted by the several Powers is as 

 follows: Great Britain, 137,000 with 58,000 reserves; German Empire, 54,691 with 

 110,000 reserves; United States, 60,217; France 62,000 with 120,000 reserves; Japan, 

 48,000 with 15,000 reserves; Italy, 33,500; Austria-Hungary, 18,500; Russia, 50,313, 

 with 30,000 reserves. The reserve figures are only approximate. 



German Navy Law. The most important feature of the naval year 1912 was the 

 passing of the new German Navy Law. By this, three additional first-class armoured 

 ships were to be added to the German navy, the first to be laid down in 1913, another 

 in 1916, and the third at some date unspecified; a third battle-squadron is to be kept in 

 commission with full crews and the personnel to be increased by 14,310 men. The 

 effect of German expansion on international relations is shown in the British Admiralty 

 Memorandum set out below. 



The British Dominions. The entry of the British Dominions oversea into the area of 

 naval affairs may be said to date from 1909, when New Zealand voted a battle cruiser 

 for the service of the Royal Navy, and Australia began to create a Fleet Unit, to consist 

 at the outset of one battle cruiser, three protected cruisers, three destroyers, and some 

 submarines. All the ships of the three former classes are now in the water, and two 

 of the destroyers in commission. The Australian Fleet Unit will eventually be manned 

 by Australian crews, and will be administered by a Navy Board in the Common- 

 wealth itself. The officers will be trained in an Australian Naval College. A larger 

 scheme, worked out by Admiral Sir Reginald Henderson, has been adopted by the 

 Australian Government, by which, in 22 years, the Commonwealth will be provided with 

 a fleet of four battle cruisers, twelve protected cruisers, and twenty-four destroyers, 

 with submarines. The whole will pass under the British Admiralty in the event of war. 



Canada, in the meantime, under the government of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, took the 

 preliminary steps towards creating a small navy, to consist of five small cruisers of the 

 Bristol class and one Boadicea, with 6 destroyers and submarines. Arrangements were 

 made for training officers and men, and the cruisers " Niobe " and "Rainbow" were pur- 

 chased from the British Government as a nucleus. When Mr. Borden succeeded Sir 

 Wilfrid Laurier, however, these dispositions were altered, and, as a result of conferences 

 held between Canadian ministers and the Home Government in 1912, it was proposed 

 that the Dominion should contribute three ships to the mother navy as an emergency 

 measure pending future arrangements by which an Imperial Admiralty might be es- 

 tablished to control the nav,al defence of the whole Empire. (See CANADA in Part II.) 



The Union of South Africa has been in consultation with the Admiralty as to the best 

 way in which it may join in the movement for naval defence; New Zealand has been 

 contemplating a further offer; the Council of the Federated Malay States, on the motion 

 of the Sultan of Perak, offered in November 1912 a first-class armoured ship to the Home 

 Government, which accepted the offer; and a movement was even said to be in progress 

 among the native princes of India for co-operating in the same direction. 



The Panama Canal. The approaching opening of the Panama Canal is likely to 

 have an important bearing on the naval situation in the near future. Theoretically, 

 the power of the Navy of the United States is almost doubled thereby, since the journey 

 of about 9,000 miles round Cape Horn necessary to shift the Atlantic fleet to the Pacific 

 area is thereby avoided; but it has yet to be seen whether, in point of fact, public opinion 

 in America will permit of the transfer. The opening of the Canal indubitably gives 

 importance to the fleets of the South American Republics, which will shortly have 

 seven " Dreadnought " ships in their hands. The existence of an " A. B.C. Alliance " 

 (Argentina, Brazil, and Chile), however, rests only on rumour. The United States har- 

 bour of Guantanamo, with Jamaica in friendly hands, controls the Atlantic entrance to 

 the Canal, while, if the efforts to obtain the Galapagos Islands are successful, the Pacific 

 entrance will be equally secure. (GERARD FIENNES.) 



