WE MUST REBUILD.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 470, 31 March 1909, Page 7

WE MUST REBUILD.

NAVAL DEBATE. STARTLING STATEMENT BY SIR E, GREY CERMANY'S PROCRAMME. "THIRTY-THREE DREADNOUGHTS." (M TELEGRAM— PRESS ASSOCIATION— COFYKIGHT.) (Rcc. March 30, 10.30 p.m.) London, March 30. In tho Houso of Commons, Mr. Arthur H. Leo (formerly a Unionist Civil Lord of tho Admiralty) moved tho Unionist motion censuring tho Government on tho ground that tho immediate provision of battleships of tho newest. typo, as proposed by tho Government, is insufficient to securo tho safety the Empire. Mr. Leo, in moving tho motion of censure, spoko in moderate terms. Ho denied that there was a public panic, and declared that thero was only a natural and acuto anxiety, the result of Mr. Asquith's speech on March 16.

It was absurd,, added Mr. Lee, to talk cf Germany's treachery. Safety lay in refusing to bo influenced by a promiso not to aceelerato a building programme A diplomatic declaration might become obsolete ih a week, whereas it would take two years to construct a battleship. Sir Edward Groy, Secretary for Foreign Affairs, replied. Ho commended the absence of party feeling in Mr. Lee's speech, but said that the Opposition ought to havo deferred tho motion of censuro until July, when the shipbuilding vote would bo considered,, and whon moro information, enabling them to form a right judgment, would bo available, to the Houso and tho country. The Minister continued: "It Is right to view the situation that Is oroated by the Cerman programme as grave, When that programme Is complete, Germany will have 33 Dreadnoughts, the most powerful fleet in the world. That imposes on Britain the neoessity of rebuilding her wholo fleet." Sir Edward Grey's statement caused a sensation in a crowded house. Ho continued : " Tho element of uncertainty was whon this rebuilding of tho fleet must ho done. Tho first necessity therefore is to take stock of tho plant availablo in tho country. That tho Admiralty has done. " The oapacity of Creat Britain for ■ building the hulls and the propelling machinery of battleships, and the manufacture of the largest guns, Is considerably in excess of that of Germany. A doubtful point is the comparative capaolty to provide gun mountings. Tha Admiralty has now arranged with tho manufacturers to provide suoh an Increase that In a few months a similar advance will be made In this branch." Dealing with tho diplomatic relations between Britain and Germany, Sir Edward Groy insisted on tho good results of King Edward's visit to Derlin. Proceeding ho said: "Two things might produoo a oonfllct between the two nations. The first is an attompt by Britain to Isolate Cermany j tho socond Is the Isolation of Britain In an attempt by any Continental Power, to 'dominate and dictate the policy of Europe:. Thoro is no reason to , apprehend either contingency.

"European Powers aro spending half their rovonuo in preparations to kill each other. Tho extent of this oxpendituro has bcoomo a satiro reflecting upon civilisation, but Britain must bo prepared to defend her national existence under conditions imposed by their own generation. lam glad that their colonios, such as New Zealand, recognise that their national existence is one with ours. N "Tho only posslbla basis of agreement as to limitation Is an acknowledgment of British naval superiority. In January I made our Information regarding the acceleration of building operations In Cormany known to Germany, adding that they must not bo surprisod If tho British estimates Increased. Cormany's verbal but quite definite declaration that thoy would have thirteen Dreadnoughts at the end of 1912 disposes of any extreme approhon3lon rogarding 1910-1911, "Tho four British hypothetical Dreadnoughts proposed to be built is not intended as a limitation of the next naval programme. National security shall havo tho benefit of any doubt." Mr. Asquith added little to Sir Edward Grey's statement of tho position, and concluded with a strong appeal to his supporters to vote their confidence in tho Government. Mr. Balfour, Leader of tho Opposition, winding up the debate, said tho Government were relying on too small a margin of naval strength at a timo when a greater strain was being placed on tho defonsivo resources of tho nation than at any period during tho past hundred years. On a division being taken, tho censure motion was rejected by 219 votes, tho voting being:— For tho motion 134 Against 353 Majority against 219

Lieut. Bellairs (Liberal member for King's Lynn), and Capt. Kincaid-Smith (Liberal member for South-West Warwickshire) voted in favour of tho censuro motion. Tho, Labour members voted against the motion. Tho Nationalists abstained from voting. GERMAN AIMS IN SOUTH AMERICA. MONROE DOCTRINE. London, March 29. The "Spectator" discusses tho possibility of a German navy aimed at challenging the Monroe Doctrine in relation to German interests in South America; hence tho building of battleships for Brazil. Sydney, March 29. A meeting of tho Peace Society adopted a resolution deploring the public excitement with regard to the British and German navies, regretting tho misplaced generosity of certain citizens, and supporting tho action of Mr. Fisher (Federal Prime Minister) in refusing to involve the people of the Commonwealth iu presenting a Dreadnought to Britain. , [A desire to dominate Argentina and Brazil, by menus of an influx of immigrants mid capital, to be followed subsequently by active intervention, has for some time b'oen alleged to be a lmrt of Germany's policy of colonial

expansion, Tho "Spectator" would scorn to bo connecting this with tho Brazilian battleships now building in England, and possibly with tho order for battleships recently reported to havo been placed by Argentina with Germany herself, Such a policy on the part of Germany or any other Power would, of course, bo incompatible with the Monroe Doctrine of tho United States.] THIRTY-THREE DREADNOUGHTS. If tho oablcd report of Sir Edward Grey's speech is correct, quite a new eminent has entered into the controversy, viz.: a possibility of a German fleet of 33 Dreadnoughts. No time-limit is mentioned within which this lingo fleet of , nons t crs (costing nearly two millions each) is to be completed, but tho mention of Mich a figure would seem to indicate that something quite new and definite has been discovered as to the German programme. Tho following is the most advanced progrnmmo wiiicli lias so far been published in connection with Germany:—

Now the above table, dating from 1908, would apparently not includo tho first four German Dreadnoughts (Nassau, Westfalen, Rheinland, and Posen), which were launched last vera but are not yet completed. Adding them to tho eighteen Dreadnoughts shown in the table, the total is not 33, but 22. It is true that thero are in the tabic- 10 armoured oruifors—and possibly, if tho recently-launched Von der Tann is not inoluded, eleven. Tho addition of these eleven armoured cruisers to tho 22 battleships would give a total of 33; but that conclusion would bo based on tho assumption that Sir Edward Grey includes both battleships and armoured cruisers (sometimes called cruiserbattleships) under the general name of Dreadnoughts. If not, then the "33 Dreadnoughts" must be some now and potent'factor suddenly appearing on tho scene.

Armoured Km Battleships, Cruisers, 1D09 '.". ' \ ] 1010 ... ,'. "" a I ion ::: 3 t 1312 t } 1913 1 1 19H 1 1 1815 1 J 1916 1 1 1917 1 . J 18 10