1908-02-21 THE RUSSIAN NAVY

London Times, 21 February 1908, p. 5: THE RUSSIAN NAVY. Sub-heading: NEW PROGRAMME OF CONSTRUCTION. St. Petersburg, Feb. 20 (Reuters) The Ministry of Marine has laid before the Defence Committee of the Duma three alternative naval estimates. The first provides for no new constructions. The second proposes the expenditure of 450,000,000 roubles (£45,000,000) spread over a period of four years and includes the construction of four battleships besides torpedo-boats and the re-establishment of naval bases in the Baltic. The third, which is favoured by the Government, covers ten years’ expenditure, amounting to over 2,000,000,000 (£200,000,000), and provides for the expenditure this year of 87,000,000 roubles (£8,700,000), rising gradually to 250,000,000 roubles (£25,000,000) in 1914 and subsequently dropping to 170,000,000 roubles (£17,000,000), which will be the normal yearly amount of naval expenditure. The proposal further provides that new vessels are all to be constructed in Russia.