World poli! have long been accustomed to the phrase "shipbuilding race" referring to competitive efforts to build the lar navy, but Italy has now given a new meaning to the phrase by the announcement that Italian shipyards have established a world's speed record in construction in regard to the battleship Impene, 35,000 tons, Unfortunately, the message does not reveal the actual time taken to build the vessel for there are some interesting records which can be quoted in comparison. Construction of a battleship is no light task. Two or three years are generally allowed for these large units and the time limit is so long that it is frequently stated that such a vessel is obsolete before she is completed, but as the time limit applies to all.building countries such a statement is only relative. Under the new British building programme, five new 35.- 000 tons battleships have been launched or will have been launched by the middle of next year, and during a single day in July three new cruise: the Nigeria, the Mauritius and the Dido, were launched. As examples of record shipbuilding H.M.S, Repulse and H.M.S. Renown rank igh in constructional time economy. They were first conceived as battleships but Lord Fisher realized the value of the fast battle cruiser type and it wa to stop the construction of these battleships and alter the design to ti cruisers. It took ten days to complete and approve the new design and, as Lord Fisher demanded'completion within 15 months, no time was lost by the builders, Messrs John Brown and Fairfield's. Both keels were laid on January 25, 1915—which was Lord Fisher's birthday—and the Repulse was launched in January, 1916, less than a year after the laying down and went through her commissioning trials in August. The Renown was launched in April that year and was completed in September, both showing on trials between 31 and 32 knots, For two such vessels, now given the ai 1 description of "Battle cruiser 32,000 tons. S.H.P, 112,000; Guns 6—i5 inch, 4-4 inch H.A," the construction of hose two ships in little over a year and a half is a record in design and construction, and ill constitute, despite their 23 years of service, two of the most formidable units of the British Navy.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.