Royal Navy

Seventy-two ironclads swept past the visiting Dominion Premiers at Spithead, the roadstead off Portsmouth. It was the first Royal Naval review to be held since July, 1914. It was also said to have been " the smallest number of naval vessels mustered at a formal British Fleet review."

Most of the ships which took part were built during the War, the oldest ship being the Queen Elizabeth, which tested its guns on the Dardanelles forts in 1915.

Compared with the 1914 review, 47 less battleships, two less battle cruisers, 14 less light cruisers took part in the recent naval exercises; the actual number of these types of ships being eight battleships, two battle cruisers, twelve light cruisers. It was stated, however, that the ships are more battleworthy than those of 1914, having heavier guns and greater speed.

The review of the fleet was principally carried out for the First Lord of the Admiralty, Lieutenant Colonel Amery, an Oxford classical scholar, who has been connected with the Admiralty for more than two years, having been Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty since 1921 until he was appointed First Lord last year in Mr. Law's Administration. He was formerly on the London Times editorial staff and organ-ized The Times' war correspondence in the South African War.