DREADNOUGHTS!

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 463, 23 March 1909, Page 5

DREADNOUGHTS!

< LAUNCH OF A NEW GERMAN LEVIATHAN, j LIBERALS' POSITION. \ PEERS MIGHT REJECT THE BUDGET. \ (niTELEUiiAra—rnsss association—copyright.) ; (Roc. March 22, 11.35 p.m.) ' London, March 22. Sovoral inombors of tho House of Commons on both sides of tho Honso nro pressing tho Prime Minister, Mr. Asquith, for ail explanation regarding tho fruitless overtures to Gonnany referred to by him in his speech on the Nnvy Estimates, in which ho was reported as saying "Thcro is no possibility of an arrangonient with Germany for mutual reduction. Efforts in that direction have been made, and havo failed." Tho "Cologne Ga7X?tto" now explains that no proposals woro put forward, but that a confidential inquiry was made, which Germany declined to entertain on tho ground that sho was determined to execute licr naval programmo at all costs. CALL FOR EICHT DREADNOUCHTS. THE PARTY ASPECT. THE SMALL NAVY MINISTERS NAMED. London, March 21. Mr. J. L. Garvin, editor of tho "Observer," states that Mr. D. Lloyd-Gcorgo (Chancellor of tho Exchequer) and Mr. Winston Churchill (President of tho Board of Trado) aro responsible for tho whittling down of tho proposals of Admiral Sir John Fisher (First Sea Lord). Ho urges that four Dreadnoughts should bo laid down in June and four in November, and that the Brazilian warships should be bought to avoid the risk of their passing to Germany. If, says Mr. Garvin, Mr. Asquith refuses to adopt this courso, tho Peers must reject tho Budget and forco a dissolution. ADVICE TO MR. ASQUITH. AN EXPLICIT PLEDGE FOR EIGHT SHIPS. (Rec. March 22, 11.35 p.m.) London, March 22. "Tho Times," in discussing Mr. Asquith's difficulties, declares that he need not fear the attitude of some of his colleagues, who havo too much of tho instinct of self-preservation to resign for fear of tho rank and file. Mr. Asquith can avert a party division, and can rehabilitate tho Government enormously in tho estimation of tho public by giving an oxplicit and unequivocal pledge that eight Dreadnoughts will bo becun in 1909, and will bo completed in tho rapidest possible time. A CERMAN CRUISER-BATTLESHIP. ONE OF THE LATEST. QUIETLY LAUNCHED AT HAMBURG. ' Berlin, March 21. Tho warship Vou der Tann, known as a cruiser, was launched at Hamburg with great secrecy. Her tonnago is 19,000, and she is fitted with turbine enginos. Tho crew numbers 900. London, March 21. Tho "Manchester Guardian" (Liberal) states that Germany pushed on her shipbuilding programmo purely in order to help tho unemployed. BRITISH LAUNCHINGS. (Rec. March 22, 11.35 p.m.) I London, March 22. Tho British cruiser Bellona and tho destroyer Crusader have been launched. A PURELY NATIONAL MOVEMENT. London, March 21. The Navy Leaguo and tho Imperial Maritimo Leaguo aro arranging a Navy campaign throughout tho country. (Ilcc. March 22, 11.35 p.m.) London, March 22. Tho "Standard" states that tho movement, under tho auspices of tho Navy Leaguo and tho Imperial Maritimo League is exclusively national. Its object 'is 1 solely to assure Britain's supremacy at sea. MR. EEIR HARDIE'S VIEW. London, March 21. Mr. Keir Hardie, Labour M.P., in a speech at Sheffield, declared it was their duty not to support tho Government, but to stretch their hands across tho North Sea to their Gorman colleagues, and mako war upon a common enoiuy—tho capitalist system. '