Churchill compared the British and German navies according to the Dutch newspaper Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad dated 17 April 1909

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.