UNWORTHY PANIC.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 464, 24 March 1909, Page 7

UNWORTHY PANIC.

LIBERALS' DEFENCE.

"UNPATRIOTIC MISREPRESENTATION." BALFOUR'S REPLY. THE DANGERS DUE L\ 1911. |m TEi.F.iiiurn—ritEss association—curntiGirr.) (Rec. March 23, 10.10 p.m.) London, March 23. In the Houso of Commons, while, in committee- on tho Nnvy Estimates, a discussion arose on tho votes for the. officers and men of the Navy. Mr. Geo. Wyndham (Unionist) and Sir Chas. Dilke (Liberal) spoke, the latter deprecating tho development of an unv/orthy panic, and emphasising the fact of Britain's preponderance in pre-Dreadnougbt ships. A Very Artiliclal Agitation. Tho Primo Minister, Mr. Asquith, raised an Opposition protest by describing the demand for a stronger navy as an extraordinary agitation of a very artificial kind. He raised cheers by declaring: Between ourselves and Germany thoro It no friction and no unfriendliness, but a mutual sense of what Is due to tho independence of two nations and 8 common feeling that they must In great matters of national defence primarily consider their own Interests. Ho asked for a suspension of judgment upon Britain's informal communication to the German Government in 1300 (P 1907) until a full statement is mado at an early date by tho Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Sir Edward Grey). Though tho communications did not result in all cases in bringing about all that Britain would havo desired, the Government had nothing to complain of. [The communication referred to is possibly connected with Britain's proposal that Britain and Germany should compare naval programmes.] "Unpatriotic Misrepresentation.' Mr. Asquith next protested against the "absurd and mischievous legends" regarding Britain's naval unpreparedness, and said that "a more unpatriotic and unscrupulous misrepresentation of tho actual situation" had never come to his knowledge. He cited figures as to what Britain's strength would be in 1912 compared with Germany's. He added: I appeal to the nation to believe that, whatever party Is in power, the first care of cvsry statesman worthy of the name will be to maintain intact, unassailable,, and unchallengeable that naval supremacy on which our independence and freedom depend.

This declaration by the Prime Minister was greeted with loud Ministerialist cheers. Opposition's Case— Tha Coming Danger. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Balfour, made a vigorous reply, in. the course of which ho said:— No one would deny that the country is safe now. What tho Opposition affirmed was that the danger would begin in 1910, and would increase in 1911. The speeches made by Mr. Asquith and by Mr. M'Kenna last week showed that it Is impossible to view with incljfioreneo these foreign Dreadnoughts; and while prß-Droadnouglit ships arc useful, the country will not consider the position safe if foreign Powors have ships of a hotter type, and almost equal or superior to ours In numbers. In conclusion, Mr. Balfour said:—"Because the Government will not budgo a hair'sbreadth from a policy involving great national peril, I take the course which I have announced"—(the moving of the vote of censuro on tho Government). •'' Tho debate on Mr. Balfour's censure motion has been fixed for March 29. WITHIN THE CABINET. WHO WERE THE STRONG NAVY MEN? (Rec. March 23, 9.55 p.m.) London, March 23. The newspapers, referring to differences within tho Cabinet, stato that Mr. Asquith (Prime Minister), Sir Edward Grey (Secretary for Foreign Affairs), and Mr. M'Kenna (First Lord of tho Admiralty) fought throughout for a strong navy. London, March 22. "Tho Times," referring to tho political situation, says Mr. Asquith was defending his own or Sir Edward Grey's policy, but that a compromiso was forced on him by tho recalcitrants. INSUFFICIENT DOCKS. VALUE OF PRE-DEEADNOUGHT • TYPE AS ADJUNCTS. (Rec. March 23, 9.55 p.m.) London, March 23. Admiral Sir Nathaniel Bowden-Smith (formerly Commander-in-Chief on the Australian Station and at the Nore), in tho course- of an interview, declared that there was no occasion for hystorics, but that the situation was serious. The immediate building of eight Dreadnoughts was indispensable. Britain had, in addition to her Dreadnoughts and Indomitables, eight battleships of the Edward VII typo and two of tho Lord Nelson type, which would be valuable adjuncts for several years.

Britain's clock accommodation, added the Admiral, was insufficient. PRE-DREADNOUGHT'S FIGHTING VALUE. "In the most important vessels of tho two fleets, namely, those of the Dreadnought class, which would in all humaii probability exercise a decisive influence on tho result: of a naval war, the Gorman navy has entered into direct competition with tho British and has already considerably reduced tho difference in strength which previously existed between thorn. A favourite German contention is that, in addition to her Dreadnoughts and Inyincibles, which will give her in 1911 a superiority of three over the German battleships of the same class, Eiiglnnd possesses an overwhelming superiority in ships of tho lino of 14,000 to 10,000 tons and in armoured cruisers of 11,000 tons and upwards. But in the opinion of naval authorities these second-class battleships and armoured cruisers could only play a decisive part at a stage of tho campaign when tho Dreadnoughts on both sides would bo placed hors do combat or in aiding tho victorious survivor? in a battle between tbose gigantic vessels. From this poi> of view a superiority of three Dreadnoughts over the German navy is considered to bo by no means too large n margin of safety, remembering the heavy calls that arc always liable to bo mode upon the British Fleet. , ' —Berlin correspondent of "The Times." Britain has eight battleships of tho King Edward VII and two of the Lord Nelson type.

PARTY NEWSPAPERS' UTTERANCES. THE DOMINION'S GIFT.. London, March 23. The "Daily Chronicle" (Liberal), in a leading articlo headed " Party-mado Panic," deprecates tho prevailing exaggerated alarm, but admits, after allowing for tho value of

tho pre-Dreadnought flcot, that tho maintenance of Britain's superiority in Dreadnoughts is a vital question for the future

Tho "Daily News" (Liberal) states:—"By 1912 thero will certainly bo thirteen German Dreadnoughts, and possilily fifteen; there, cannot be more than seventeen. We shall certainly have, sixteen, ami iho Government is prepared, if necessary, to increase the number to twenty. Meanwhile, New Zealand's very handsome action should do something to restore tho shattered nerves of our Imperialists. The colonies enjoy tho protection of the Navy, and ibis offer is an earnest of their readiness, should the burden increase, to tnko a share- of the cost. But it must not increase; thero is no need for it to indefinitely increase."

The " Standard " (Unionist), in welcoming New Zealand's noblo gift, contrasts Sir Joseph Ward's superb words, "if necessary, two Dreadnoughts," with Mr. Asquith's "if necessary," as grudgingly applied to tho conditional four Dreadnoughts for April, 1910. Many petitions have been forwarded to tho Lord Mayor for holding a meeting in support of Mr. Asquith's Guildhall declaration. . i. ■, The Sydney newspapers' suggestion that the overseas Dominions should offer a Dreadnought, Mr. Fisher's eulogy of the spirit that proposed an Australian Dreadnought, and Sydney citizens' splendid offer at tho banquet to Sir Harry Rawson, are keenly appreciated. BRAZIL'S SHIPS. A DENIAL THAT THEY WILL BE SOLD. London, March 22. Brazil denies that she has any intention to cede her new Dreadnoughts to any Power, and declares that they are necessary for tho protection of her own long coast. rSomo kief particulars of tho three new Brazilian warships represented by tho Minns Geraes were published on Monday. In addition wo quote the following from "The Times": Tho wr< i ? lattlc3lli P Minns Geraes, built b<- Sir Y\. Cγ. Armstrong, Whitworth, nnd Co. (Ltd.), Ivewcastle-on-Tyne, will, when completed, have a displacement approaching 20,000 tons, an-1, l« I'l \ SL u i. pped ?,? d provisioned, this will "£' to »s- She Aas a length of 500 ft., LJ t°{ 83 , f t" ? n n . d sho can ' ies « main armament of twelve 12in. guns, ten of which can simultaneously fire on either broadside, or eifiht can fire in hn» of keel ahead and eight astern A similar arrangement has, it is said, bean nltr m t th **tnt Japanese battleship now fonr nf H r i ct, u? m Jalm - To achieTo this, hn « f °r dOul 2L e g ? n turrcts nre P lace d on tho centre, line, the two nearest amidships I*ovIAV 1 h !? her > vcl thus capable ofiirln? h,IJ ■ °T r t , wo ' whi , lst ono of th ° remaining turrets is placed on either broadside. Tier s"*ondary armament consists of 22 Win. puns all placed behind armour, eight of then'in the superstructure and H between tho main and upper decks protected by the citadel The ArZ Ur ' } V,: 4 haS . a !L ~eeu manufactured St *■ A»»s»von ? ; s Openshaw Works, Man- ?*,?„£ i! t , h °i Iv ,r, lpp , ce »"=ntod quality. The H° bolt , a , nil bulkheads, ami also the barb«t • Protecting the 12in. gun bases, are all Din. m thickness; the belt is carried up to the level .of the upper deck to form a citadel, nnd the upper deofc itself is thickened, over the length or ho citadel, ,n addition to the usual protective dec;, which runs the whole length of the vessel about the level of the water-line.j THE VON DER TANN.

RUSHED FORWARD AT A COST OF £1,833,000. Berlin, March 22. Tho now Gorman cruiser Von der Tann, launched with much secrecy at Hamburg, will ho ready for sea six months before tho official date set down for her completion. She will cost £1,833,000, only £5000 less than the battleship Nassau, 17,679 tons, launched last year. ■ ' '[According to "The Navy" the tonnage of tho projected British nrmoured cruiser the Indefatigable (which was given by tho "Western Morning News" at lS.flOO) will be 19,000—tho same figure as was attributed in the cablegrams yesterday to tho newly-launched German ship \on do Tann. Both authorities agree in riving the Indefatigable turbines of 4-5,000 ll p According to tho -'Daily Jlail Year Book" tho Von tier Tann will have turbines of the same power (45.000 h.p.), but tho "Navy League Annual gives tho figu.-e at 48,000 h.p. The British Indomitable, tha finest armoured cruiser now in commission, is of 17,250 tons and 41,000 h.p., and can do 25 knots.]

A MILLION TERRITORIALS. Lcndcn, March 22. Tho military correspondent of "The Times," fearing that it will'be impossible to sufficiently re-establish Britain's naval supremacy, urges the raising of a million well-trained territorials. fTho Secretary for War and regrganise.- of the Army (Mr. Haldnne) foresaw tho nnvnl pressure long ago. In a notablo speech lie is reported as saying:—"The shores of tho United Kingdom wore encircled by the sea, and we had a great JNavy, but there might como a time when it would not bo so easy for us as to-day to command what was called tho two-Power standard in the Navy. Germany had a population nf nearly sixty millions to our forty-four millions; the United States would beforo long have a population of 100 millions) and it would be very hard for us, with a population of fortyfour millions, to maintain a two-rower standard against two nations with a combiner , population of 100 millions. We might not be able in days to come to depend wholly and absolutely upon our Navy with the completeness of to-day, and should that timo arrive it would bo upon tho home defence forces that we should have to rest our trust. Now, a force could not bo organised in a day, or even in a ynar. at took ten years to organise and bring to fruition the conception of a homo defenco .Army,, mid that was why in these days, of profound peace it was right and desirable to make a resolute effort to put the forces of the Grown on no efficient and satisfactory foundation."]

BY-ELECTION: ADVANTAGE TO THE UNIONISTS. (Rec. March 23, 9.5S p.m.) London, March 23. The naval issue is dominating tho byelectiou at Croydou (whei-6 tho lato Mr. Arnold-Forster, formerly a TJfflonist Secretary to tho Admiralty, and a noted military and naval authority, had in 1906 a Unionist majority of 638). GERMAN AND BRITISH DOCKS. Tho German dockyards are situated as follow:—Kiel: Two docks take nny ship; also two floating docks; four docks take any ship up to 10,000 tons. Wilhelmshaven; One dock takes nny ship; one takes up to 10,000 tons; three floating docks; two new ones building. D.int;zig: Two small floating docks and a new dock to tako any ship building. Tho private yards of Germany, at Hamburg, Bremen, Kiel, Elbing, Stettili, nnd Dnutzig, could build very largo vessels. The Civil Lord of the British. Admiralty made the. following statement in tho House of Commons on April 25, 1007: "We had at home five Government docks capable of taking the Dreadnought; abroad eight. Of tho docks at homo, four were i\t Kcyhum and ono was at Portsmouth.. Of docks belonging to the Government capable of taking the Invincible type, there were eight at home and three nbrond. There were private docks at home capable of talcing the Dreadnought to Hie number of ten; abroad three. There was a grand total of L'l! docks in British territory capable of taking the Dreadnought." The construction of the new British dock and naval base at Rosyth will take some years to complete. RAPID CONSTRUCTION AND ITS DRAWBACKS. CAPACITY OF GERMAN YARDS. As was indicated yesterday, much that now f trikes the . public as new concerning German's WiUNhip-lmildiiig competition is new only to those who -previously were not interested. It wax shown yesterday that a definite statement nf Germany's ncrelcraMon of building was mmlo by the Berlin correspondent, of "The Times" in December, and by other papers much earlier, further, in November of Inst yoar tho Berlin correspondent of "The Times" pointed .vt the i

improvement which German builders have made as regards rapidity of construction. Ho stated that "Germany is now, roughly speaking, capable- of building battleships as rapidly and as well us England, completing them within 28 to .10 months. The correspondent proceeded to add a qualification, which is of general application, to tho effect that rapid construction may not bo all that it seems. Ho writes:—

"Of cotirso, it is not always easy to tell tho exact time taken in the construction of modern warships, as a good deal of tho work, such as tho preparation of plates, rivets, etc., is dono before the official dale of commencement. It is believed that Gorman builders at least—and possibly the samo remark applies to those of other countries—frequently begin this preparatory work somo months, not only before the actual grant is made by Parliament, but boforo tho contracts hnvo been officially placed. To judge from a warning by Vico-Admiral Galster in JJer lag' against oyorhaste in building such rapidity is considered in some quarters to have us drawbacks. This says it was found last winter that tho ships of tho Kaiser class completed os long ago as lflOl wero found to liavo faults of construction that would imperil their safety in battle. He suggests that a pause should be ma-lo in tho building of the now battleships of tho Dreadnought typo until ono or more of tho three already launched is tested in a trial trip."

WILHELMSHAVEN AND GERMAN NAVAL BASES. NORTH SEA-BALTIC CANAL., «■£■ f. onclon cablegram dated March 20 stated: Uerlin papers publish details of night and (lay operations in the extension of tho naval works at Wilhelmshaven, and declnre' that within a few mouths that port will, supersede Kiel. All the Dreadnoughts and Invincibles 'twVl" , cons 'i' u otion will bo stationed at Wilhelm shaven." , '-This movement from Kiel, the' Baltic base, to U'llhelmshaven, the North Sea base-both bases are connected by canal-was referred to !Sni o( * mbci ' V Berlin correspondent of iHo limes, who chronicled the departure from Iveil to Wilhelmshaven of the four battleships of the Wittelsbach class. Hβ added- "It is expected that by the beginning of noxt winter the various works at IVilhelmshaven will be advanced sufficiently for the accommol'° a ° f n" the eight battleships which form the first squadron of tho German High Sea fleet, together with tho two armoured cruisers ami three protected cruisers which constitute tho first reconnaissance detachment.' In other words, one-half of the German High Sea ileet n i ny .."oppected to be stationed permanently at Wilhelmshaven about twelve months hence.

AVliile the German Dreadnoughts nrc to be stationed at Wilhelmshaven, tlie North Sea base, Germany is at the same time widening the canal at Kiel on the Baltic, so that it inny be used by these leviathan Warships. The balho canal, Mr. H. W. Wilson points out, gives.the German navy two different exits in tlie iNorth Sea, each of which would have to be very closely watched in timo of war. The German coast defences," he adds, "are of the most formidable) pattern, and the configuration of the coast renders it difficult of attack. . , .The British coast defences are weak and not too well organised." Germany IS , '""King' a fortified torpedo base of the island ol■ Holiogoland, which the British Government without consulting the British Admiralty, ceded to Germany in IS9O, thus immensely strengthening tho German position iu the JNortn Sea. TURBINES IN THE GERMAN NAVY. .With regard to Cue adoption by Germany of Uio turbine, which is to be placed in tho new cruiser Van der Tann, it was some time ago pointed out that the German Admiralty had taken up from a Gorinau company (tho German turbinia Company) the license to build the I arsons turbine, which is an English design made under licence by the German firm. Turin no works r.re to be erected by the German Admiralty at Kiel. Says a writer in "The Navy :—

"Tho turbine era has now set in. After a lengthy period of watching and waiting the Marine Office is finally convinced of the new systems many merits. That tho conversion, s o\v as it has been, is thorough, is proved by tlio circumstance (hat when all the German warships now building are completed the number of turbino units will bo twenty-four. Three destroyers and three protected cruisers already in commission aro so fitted; four additional protected cruise-s building and completing are to receive turbines, as alsj are ihe huge armoured cruisers building at Hamburg. Every protected cruiser to'be kid:down 1 in tho fhfufe will be engined on this system; and, indeed, 1 hiive it on the authority of Colonel Gadko that turbines are contemplated for tho three battleships and one armoured cruiser to be laid down this year. Tho regulation turbino for German war SDi-vico has not y«t been settled upon. At the moment four different systems are, or will be, installed in German warships—viz., Parsons, Zoelly, Allgemeine Eleklrizitats-Gesell-schaft, and Melms und Ffenningcr."