Autograph Letter Signed ('P Watts') to Archibald Hurd, 5 Downshire Hill, Hampstead, London N.W.

4to, 2 pp, 25 lines. Good, on slightly discoloured and grubby paper. Watts takes issue with 'The statement of British Shipbuilding Programmes since 1889' which Hurd has forwarded. 'It was found more convenient to draw up the table again', and Watts is sending 'the result of the investigations which have been made' (table not present). He is in 'complete agreement' with the 'statements under the headings of Battleships, Armoured Cruisers and 1st. class Cruisers', but 'Under the headings of 2nd. and 3rd. class Cruisers, Destroyers, Torpedo Boats & Submarines the figures required a good deal of correction.' Watts presumes a statement by Hurd refers to '18 Torpedo gunboats of the Sharpshooter class built under the Naval Defence Act'. He questions the accuracy of Hurd's title 'because the actual Programmes included certain ships which were never built; whereas the figures given include ships only which were actually built.' Hurd, who was with the Telegraph between 1899 and 1928, had been editor of the Naval and Military Record between 1896 and 1899, and would be joint editor of Brassey's Naval Shipping Annual between 1921 and 1928.