THE WORLD'S NAVIES 53 



66, will be maintained in full commission out of a total of 144; 72 new submarines will be 

 built within the currency of the new law, and of these it is apparently proposed to maintain 

 54 with full permanent crews. Taking a general view, the effect of the law will be that nearly 

 four-fifths of the entire German Navy will be maintained in full permanent commission; 

 that is to say, instantly and constantly ready for war. 



So great a change and development in the German Fleet involves of course, important 

 additions to their personnel. In 1898 the officers and men of the German Navy amounted 

 to 25,000. To-day that figure has reached 66,000. The new law adds 15,000 officers and 

 men, and makes a total in 1920 of 101,500. 



The new construction under the law prescribes the building of 3 additional battleships 

 I to be begun next year, I in 1916 and 2 small cruisers, of which the date has not yet been 

 fixed. The date of the third battleship has not been fixed. It has been presumed to be 

 later than the six years which are in view. The cost of these increases in men and in material 

 during the next six years is estimated as 10,500,000 spread over that period above the 

 previous estimates. 



The facts set forth above were laid before the House of Commons on July 22, 1912, by 

 the First Lord of the Admiralty. 



5. The effect of the new German Navy Law is to produce a remarkable expansion of 

 strength and readiness. The number of battleships and large armoured cruisers which will 

 be kept constantly ready and in full commission will be raised by the law from 21, the present 

 figure, to 33 an addition of 12, or an increase of about 57 per cent. 



The new fleet will, in the beginning, include about 20 battleships and large cruisers of 

 the older type, but gradually as new vessels are built the fighting power of the fleet will rise 

 until in the end it will consist completely of modern vessels. 



The complete organization of the German Fleet, as described by the latest law, will be 5 

 battle squadrons and a fleet flagship, comprising 41 battleships in all, each attended by a 

 battle or armoured cruiser squadron, complete with small cruisers and auxiliaries of all 

 kinds and accompanied by numerous flotillas of destroyers and submarines. 



This full development will only be realised step by step; but already in 1914 2 squadrons 

 will, according to Admiralty information, be entirely composed of what are called Dread- 

 noughts, and the third will be made up of good ships like the "Deutschlands" and the 

 " Braunschweigs," together with 5 Dreadnought battle cruisers. 



This great fleet is not dispersed all over the world for duties of commerce protection or in 

 discharge of Colonial responsibilities; nor are its composition and character adapted to those 

 purposes. It is concentrated and. kept concentrated in close proximity to the German and 

 British coasts. 



Attention must be drawn to the explicit declaration of the tactical objects for which 



the German Fleet exists as set forth in the preamble to the Naval Law of 1900 as follows: 



"In order to protect German trade and commerce under existing conditions, only 



one thing will suffice namely, Germany must possess a battle fleet of such a strength 



that even for the most powerful naval adversary a war would involve such risks as to 



make that Power's own supremacy doubtful. For this purpose it is absolutely necessary 



that the German Fleet should be as strong as that of the greatest Naval Power, for, as 



a rule, a great Naval Power will not be in a position to concentrate all its forces against 



us." 



6. It is now necessary to took forward to the situation in 1915. 



In Home Waters. In the spring of the year 1915 Great Britain will have 25 "Dread- 

 nought" battleships and 2 "Lord Nelsons." Germany will have 17 "Dreadnought" 

 battleships. Great Britain will have 6 battle cruisers. Germany will have 6 battle cruisers. 

 These margins in new ships are sober and moderate. They do not err on the side of excess. 

 The reason they suffice for the present is that Great Britain possesses a good superiority in 

 battleships, and especially armoured cruisers, of the pre-Dreadnought era. The reserve of 

 strength will steadily diminish every year, actually because the ships of which it is composed 

 grow old, and relatively because the new ships are more powerful. It will diminish more 

 rapidly if new construction in Germany is increased or accelerated. As this process con- 

 tinues greater exertions will be required by the British Empire. , ; 



Mediterranean Station. Four battle cruisers and four armoured cruisers will be required 

 to support British interests in the Mediterranean during the years 1913 and 1914. During 

 those years the navies of Austria and Italy will gradually increase in strength, until in 1915 

 they will each possess a formidable fleet of 4 and 6 Dreadnought battleships 'respectively, 

 together with strong battleships of the pre-Dreadnought types and other units, such as 

 cruisers, torpedo-craft, &c. It is evident, therefore, that in the year 1915 our squadron of 

 4 battle cruisers and 4 armoured cruisers will not suffice to fulfill our requirements, and its 

 whole composition must be reconsidered. 



Overseas. It has been necessary within the past decade to concentrate the fleet mainly 

 in Home waters. In 1902 there were 160 British vessels on the overseas stations against 

 76 to-day. 



7. Naval supremacy is of two kinds, general and local. General naval supremacy con- 

 sists in the power to defeat in battle and drive from the seas the strongest hostile navy or 



