French Minister of Marine De Lanessan wanted to built armoured cruisers in stead of battleships in 1900

République-class©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Liberté class©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Danton-class©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

An item reported that the Commission of Budget examined the Naval Estimates of France and discussed with the Minister of Marine the proposed new building of 2-14,865 tons battleships, building costs each 35 million francs/1,400,00 pound sterling.(1) The Commission asked the Minister to spread the costs for the first year on the other ships now under construction. Later responded De Lanessan (2) while proposing to replace the two battleships by 2-12,400 armoured cruisers to be built at Brest and Toulon and which were similar to one cruiser already mentioned on the list and which was to be built at Cherbourg. The building costs of the proposed armoured cruisers was each 28 million francs/1,120,00 pound sterling. The Commission refused this replacement in view of the “exterior Political Situation” and wanted that the money at disposal was to be used to accelerate the construction of ships already started. She decided not to vote the credits asked for. Former Minister of Marine Lockroy (3) sent an amendment to the Naval Budget to the Chamber in which he divided the budget of 500 million francs/10,000,000 pound sterling of which one half for fleet and torpedo boats including the battle of battleships. Lockroy made clear that the battleships were not to have an “enormous tonnage and extravagant cost, like those proposed, and which are nevertheless inferior in artillery and speed” to similar British battleships.

Notes

1. Under the Fleet Law of 1900 were six pre-dreadnought battleships built. namely the 14,870 ton République-class (République and Patrie) and the Liberté class (Liberté, Justice, Vérité, and Démocratie). Preceded by Suffren and succeeded by the Danton-class semi-dreadnought-battleships.

2. Jean-Marie Antoine de Lanessan (13 July 1843 Saint-André-de-Cubzac, France 7 November 1919 Écouen, France), Minister of Marine 22 June 1899-7 June 1902. Reformer of the French naval construction under the 1900 naval program.

3. Édouard Lockroy (18 July 1838 Paris-22 November 1913), French politician. Criticized the policy of Camille Pelletan Minister of Marine June 1902-January 1905 in the cabinet of Émile Combes. As a persistent supporter of a strong naval policy Lockroy wrote several books like La Défense navale (1900), Les Marines française et allemande (1904) and Le Programme naval (1906).

Source

Journal of the Royal United Service Institution. Volume XLIV. January-June 1900, p. 73-.