Show ir r r SQUADRON FOR NORTH PACIFIC Great Britain to Maintain 11 Cruisers at the Naval Base at Esquimalt B C COMMANDS SOUND PLAN WILL BE CARRIED OUT THIS YEAR Halifax N No S Feb 5 Advices have been received here her to the effect that tho the British North Pacific squadron s is to tobe he be increased and that some timo this year jeur probably in May 18 the fourth cruiser squadron will win proceed to the Pacific presumably pre presumably presumably bound for the British Brutal naval base at B C The fourth cruiser squadron consists of ot the cruisers Cress Cressy Hogue Brilliant and nd Inde Indefatigable fatigable and six cruisers of the county class clans The fortress at is now garrisoned by b Dominion D troops as is that in Halifax Abolished Four Years Ago AgoTha The Tha plan to send the vessels to the Pa Pacific i cine cioc is explained by local naval officials a as being a 11 step stell in the direction of at re reviving reviving reviving tho the British Pacific squadron which was abolished four years ago when Sir John Fisher Fiber became first lord of the thee admiralty and a policy of construction Was nas adopted The North Atlantic squadron was with withdrawn withdrawn withdrawn drawn from Halifax at the tIle same time and became a part paTt of ot the home fleet In Inthe Intile Inthe the tile British channel When the Pacific squadron was flU cancelled the best of the ships were attached to the large China fleet at kong the others being re recalled called all d to England Later two ships were detached from the China fleet and were pent font to and at present they are aro ar the only British Britten vessels In those wa waters waters waters They are the Algerine Igerine and the Shearwater l light armored cruisers Armament of the Cruisers Two of ot the ships of or the British cruiser squadron detailed for the Pacific trip the Indefatigable and antI the Brilliant have been blen on the tl West Indian station The Theother Theother Theother other three the Creasy Cressy Eur alus and Hogue have never n er been in North Ameri American can waters lit All five ships have recently been over overhauled overhauled hauled and They The each carry arry two guns twelve guns besides subsidiary armaments Esquimalt is the British naval base on the Pacific coast strongly fortified and supplied with arsenal dry dock and dock dockyards do k yards yams It possesses a fine harbor at atthe atthe atthe the southern end of Vancouver island rind and commands the t e approach to Puget sound The Tho British naval organ here in a fer ferId fervid tid vid Id editorial on the plan says that hat the government and the admiralty are to be ba congratulated on their decision |