London, March 8, In the House of Commons to-day, Mr. A. J. Balfour, First Lord of the Admiralty, replied to Mr. Winston Churchill. Saying that the latter's speech was very unfortunate both in form and substance, Mr. Balfour reaffirmed that the continuity of the Admiralty's policy of construction compared very favourably with anything ever accomplished.
He pointed out caustically that under the Churchill regime skilled wrights had been allowed to enlist, and Mr. Winston Churchill had used guns and gun-mountings destined for Dreadnoughts for monia tors. Nevertheless the Fleet was more powerful than in Mr. Churchill's time and would be stronger every month.
He had listened to Mr. Churckhill's suggestion to recall Admiral Lord Fisher with profound stupefaction. He paid " warm tribute to Admiral Bir Henry Jackson, the First Sea
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