Ron van Maanen

One of the members of the commission responsible to investigate the French navy namely Paul Doumer sketched in in the newspaper Matin an desperate view. According to him was just one fleet of importance namely the Mediterranean Fleet. This fleet should be continuous in a state of mobilisation and to be able to depart immediately if necessary. This fleet consisted of 6 battleships of 15,000 tons and 3 cruisers of 12,500 tons. Not a very large number of ships he said but with a good quality. But this fleet was prepared for action. Of the 700 men needed for the crews of these ships were 100 men lacking and one battleship didn’t have any projectile n on board for protection against torpedo boats. On a another battleship burst last year during gun exercises one heavy gun and which wasn’t still replaced. Ammunition and victuals were lacking, crews were everywhere incomplete and so on. The commission and the cabinet were to improve this state rapidly.

Ron van Maanen

The newspaper Times reported that the Australian commonwealth telegraphed to London that the Australian navy was available if England needed her. Just sent a telegram to Australia and her ships steamed to the North Sea wrote the Dutch journalist with a smile. 

Ron van Maanen

The newspaper Giornale d’Italia claimed that she knew the contents of the naval programme just accepted in the cabinet. There were four dreadnoughts to be built, each costing 55.000.000 lire. Further more were a large number of scouts, torpedo boats and submarines to be built, total costs 264.000.000 lire. In 1912 would de Italian navy consist of 4 dreadnoughts of 20,000 tons, 6 battleships of 13,500 tons and 6 cruisers of 9,800, 3 of 7,350 tons and 2 of 6,500 tons. According to the same newspaper was this programme a response to the Austrian naval programme.

Ron van Maanen

The discussions in England dealing with the strength of and the new shipbuilding for the German navy were quite fierce in 1909. It was clear that the British navy outnumbered the German navy in number of ships and total tonnage. A correspondent of the newspaper Standard of London visited the German shipyards at Bremen, Geestemünde, Wilhelmshaven, Hamburg and Kiel and was very pleased to could say that Germany wasn’t building as fast as was feared by the British imperialists. 

Ron van Maanen

In England was the common enthusiasm for a navy  with the combined strength of two other navies slightly started to decrease resulting that the tone of the Liberal newspapers also became somewhat less agitated. They pointed out that the regular made comparison  with the German navy was false, the German fleet was much smaller as the British. On 31 March 1909 possessed England 50 battleships and 34 protected cruisers against the 34 respectively 8 of Germany. Germany possessed just 3 ship with a displacement larger as 13,000 tons against the 37 of England. In the last 3 years decreased the Liberal cabinet the naval expenses with nearly 3.500.000 British pound.

The newspaper Daily Chronicle however reported that there were plans to built in 1910 6 ships of the so-called improved Dreadnought type and in 1912 another four.

Ron van Maanen

The famous Winston Churchill (1) wrote to the chairman of the Liberal Society at Dundee a reassuring long letter dealing with the British Royal Navy. He pointed out that the British trade did not need to have more people as the German trade and warned seriously to the criminal intentions of a minority in both countries causing problems. It was the first duty of the party leader to fight against misrepresentations. 

Comparing the strengths of the British and German navies by just of the number of dreadnoughts was not correct. England possessed twice as many experienced sailors compared with any other naval power. Except for the dreadnoughts there were forty 1st class battle ships against the 20 of Germany, 35 1st class armoured cruisers against the just 8 of Germany. The British battleships were armed with 650 guns, the Germans just 384. In 1912 would England almost certain as two other naval powers together except for the USA but Churchill did not thought that a war with the USA was realistic. 

Note

1. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 Woodstock, Oxfordshire-24 January 1964 Hyde Park, London), prime minister 10 May 1940-26 July 1945 and 26 October 1951-7 April 1955. When he wrote the letter he was president of the board of trade between 12 April 1908 and 14 February 1910. Home secretary 19 February 1910-24 October 191, First Lord of the Admiralty 1911-1915 and so on. 

Ron van Maanen

In 1909 was the Spanish cabinet accused of abuse of her office while given the order for building a new fleet and naval yards to the British firm Vickers despite better tenders. In this newspaper was paid several times attention to this issue which ended in an approval of the order.

On 5 February reported this newspaper that according to the Spanish newspaper Epoca the Spanish cabinet had decided to order the British firm Vickers to built a new fleet. Tenders from France, Italy and the USA were rejected.(1)

In the edition dated 17 April 1909 were also some details supplied. In the official Spanish Government newspaper was the Royal Decision published which ordered the building of a new fleet and the founding of yards and so on at Ferrol and Cartagena by a Spanish firm which was in fact a hide mantle for the British firm Vickers Sons and Maxim. 

Four days later was reported that the navy auditor Macias required from the parliament that she accused the cabinet for giving an order to the British firm Vickers Maxim to built a new fleet. 

The next day wrote the journalist that the Spanish cabinet was accused that she handled not correctly with ordering the building of warships by a British firm. According to the item were there all several days discussion in the parliament. The Spanish Prime Minister Maura said on 21 April that he was nothing afraid for a discussion dealing with this issue, in contrary it was a wish of him to be able to make clear that the cabinet wasn’t to blame. 

The edition dated 26 April reported that there was a meeting of the parliament the day before. As a result of censorship were abroad not all details known. Macias was questioned but refused to prove his accusations as long as he was hold prisoner.

The photo below can be found on the url http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Varada_espa%C3%B1a_1913.jpg. It shows the España in 1913 whn docked at Ferrol in 1913. More details were not supplied. 

According to the edition dated 28 April condemned a honour court consisting of high navy officers Macias to leaving the military service. Macias accused the cabinet of abus of office when she gave the order for building a new fleet to the British firm Vickers. The cabinet reacted furiously in this affair by threatening newspapers with censorship, arresting several men and preparing the streets with sand for eventual using cavalry against the common people. Still the Dutch journalist wondered if the accusations against the cabinet were not false what would happen. The ships to be delivered by Vickers were regarded armament, armour and seaworthiness of much lesser quality as the ships offered by French and Spanish yards.

In the edition dated 1 May was reported that Ruiz Delarbot a former Spanish navy captain but now member of the Senate proposed to withdraw the order given to the firm Vickers to built the new squadron.

In her edition dated 18 June was reported that the contract between the cabinet and the British firm Vickers-Maxim definitely was signed. The work was to start at Ferrol for which 3,000 labourers were used.

Note

1. The Cortes approved the Navy Law of 7 January 1908 which should give Spain a new modern navy and yards. There were for instance three 15,000 tons battleships to be build. This must be the España-class consisting of the España, Alfonso XIII and Jaime I laid down between 1909-1912 and completed between 1913 and 1921! They had a displacement of 14,452 (normal)-15,700 (maximum) tons.

Ron van Maanen

According to an item earlier published in the newspaper Standard prepared the British firm Vickers, Maxim & Co. secretly the building of  large airship. It’s unknown if the British Admiralty is interested or if the builders got a subsidy.