The Lords:
¶ Were warned by Hero-Admiral Earl Beatty, Commander of the British Grand Fleet (1916-19), First Sea Lord (1919-27), "our situation with regard to cruisers is indeed serious."
He recalled that 9,500,000 tons of British shipping have to be protected every day "on lines of communications extending over 80,000 miles." For years the Admiralty considered 70 cruisers the minimum requirement (less than one to every thousand miles), but this number has now been reduced to 50.
"Is it surprising," asked Earl Beatty in seadog peroration, "that there is apprehension among those who have...
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