1910-01-01 DISORGANIZATION AT THE ADMIRALTY

London Times, 1 January 1910, p. 3: RUSSIA. DISORGANIZATION AT THE ADMIRALTY. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) ST. PETERSBURG, DEC. 31. The proceedings of the Duma Committee on the Naval Estimates, published this morning, show that the Admiralty, unlike the War Office, are still in a disorganized condition. The Committee notes the delay in the construction of the four Dreadnoughts by Russian yards with Russian matériel, which was undertaken in order to convince public opinion that the Admiralty were able to cope with such an undertaking. Two-thirds of the shipbuilding grant of 22 million roubles (£2,200,000), which was sanctioned without the Duma’s assent, has been already expended on the equipment of the yards and the purchase of matériel, but the actual workon half of it during the past year has been nil. Even the designs are not all settled. The Government Izhora Works, which were to supply the armour within two years, now find it impossible to deliver the turrets and plates for ten years. In these circumstances, the Duma will certainly refuse further credits for shipbuilding. The Admiralty reforms will doubtless be hastened thereby. The Dreadnoughts cannot, however, be completed in due time without having recourse to foreign aid. It will be remembered that a British firm is superintending the building of the turbines.