"VICIOUS ERRORS."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 484, 17 April 1909, Page 5

"VICIOUS ERRORS."

MR. CHURCHILL CENSURED. THROWING HIS LEADERS OVER. SHIPS-GUNS-MEN. (BT TELEORArU—PIcESa ASSOCIATION—COPYRIOHT.) ': . . • LonUon, April 15. Tho nowspapors sovcrely comment on the action of Mr. Churchill (President of the Board cf Trado);in placing nmoiig "stupid *nd vicious errors " the attempt to measure the strength , of the Nary only in Dreadnoughts. They doclaro that this is an attack on Mr. Asguith and Mr. M'Kenna (First Lord of tho Admiralty). . V.' Mr. Churchill's further statement, that men count first and then guns, is also condemned as implying that, having a fine hody of sailors, it is needless, to bother about a particular class of ships. "The Times" charges Mr. Churchill with obstinately pressing his views at all hazards, and obstructing the Cabinet's decision on vital questions. ' . .-.■■■■ , The " Morning Post" declares that Mr. Churchill, having failed in his efforts to impair tho naval strength of tho Empire, seeks to achieve that result by othor methods. The " Standard" says Mr. Churchill throws his loaders over. COLONIES AND THE NAVY. ■'■. t . ■ GIFT SHIPS NOT NECESSARILY AN ADDITION. (Rec. April 16, 10.10 pm.) ~ : \ ' London, April 16; ■ The "Westminster Gazette" says the ,ono phrase : in Mr. Churchill's letter assumes' that battleships given by the colonies will bo an addition to those constructed from tho Motherland's resources. This, comments the .'.'Gazette," would be an excessive provision. "While the country welcomes the offer of the colonies, there is no reason why these should lead us. to build a fleet larger than is,required for safety." '..'■ . ....-■■ UNDIVIDED CONTROL IN WAR TIME. : ; AUSTKALIA'S FORCES. ; April 16, 10.58 jp.mO ,"' /'" : . ■'.-. London, April 16. "The Times," on the authority of a wellinformed correspondent, -states that the Commonwealth Government has cabled to the Admiralty that in the event of an emergency the whole of the-naval forces of the Commonwealth would bo placed unreservedly, under the * Admiralty's direction upon,the Commander of the Australian Sta- . tion so requesting. ; . MR. FISHER STANDS HIS CROUND. ; y.RicibiJLEs gift ships; .' \ I;/ ■ (Rec. April 16, 11;25 p;m.) > ''• : .•,.,■: . : :. . .Brisbane, April 16. •, Mr. Fisher, Federal Prime Minister, te- , plying to comments.on his non-Dreadnought naval policy, said that if the people of-the Commonwealth wanted' the Government to present a' Dreadnought, they would have, to .provide another Government to do it. His . ; idea was : that it would be far.lbetter for all concerned if they spent the money in ; ;strengthening ,their; own defences. Y-, ■';.'" He did not ■ wish. to > say, anything about • ;those "people who desired to,>give a .Dread-nought,.,but-he declined to commit the Government ttfjsuch' a foolish act.;'. Those-who' ' .advocated giving a Dreadnought >ould have , 'to go 'to ihe Mother Country, and/ask her'to provide the monoy to do it.-. Could anything be more ridiculous? . .,■ ... ; . , ' .' .'. They simply declared 'to, the -world that , they had ■neither, the money to build battleships .themselves, nor, had they ' dockyards. or material for building them,;, also, they ' hadto admit that.they;.had neither the men to man : them, nor trained men to , officer . /them. ■ ■,' .' ■• . .'■• ;., ■.-..,■ :,, ■ ... . ■ -. CASE M AINST THE. OR EADNOUGHTS. , [ . '. Whatever may be said of Mr. CLuioliill's party_ loyalty and his platform tactics, the fact : remains ■■■ .that tho attempt to "measure the .strength of.the Navy only in Dreadnoughts" has met with inuah opposition in many quar'l?lh .Jγ 'l S 5 andnrd ' a Unionist paoor, writes: The vital question is whether the Gov. ■' lnt , Bn . d lo commit themselvusJo the . Dreadnought-test of the two-Power slandaH, ■ or whether they Mil bo willing to ai ply thfl cn. of x ( t (mer ?> l throughout the whole , of the Navy," Apparent y tho mhjoric- of the Cabinet has iicoapted the Dreadnought test ; and Churchill is. venting his) disappointmcnt_: in public. The arguments against tha Dreadnought type.of warship have been summarised by ihe "Standard". as fillows:Ihe expense involved in laying down Drea.l-noughts-is so great as to starve the Navy in regard to other types of warships necessary for the conduct of a war.; That is to say,' tor every .Dreadnought:laid down a suitable number of auxiliary, vessels (cruisers, destroyers, etc,',' .should also ;be built. We have fwuenUy pointed out in these columns that we ore dangerously deficient in cruisers-and in torpedj m »•■'« ?d ' r« h ? s teo " W! u P° n ' the Cabinet that, this deficiency is, likely tq be enhanced ■rather, than lessened by an adherence to the policy:of only laying down a great number it :Dreadnoughts.: Tor if. the .money votßu he ■f?»)! '■.■.spent , on; Dreadnoughts there will be little left for, the construction of the tee'essarv auxiliary ships- , , '■:<■■. ' • "Moreover, the Dreadnought policy involves -further outlays with the aotual construction: Th'jrq are at present onlv three clocks m Gieat Britain capable of takinir « Ireadnought, and only one of these is Govern.ment -property. ■'■:■■ .... ' • "Other objections urged to the Dreadnoughts are that they are of such deep draupht that their usefulness is considerably oircuinscribed In some portions of the North Sea, where their 'presence might be necessary, there would onlv be aniargm of five feet of water below the depth they draivy . , ; / .. . "The predominanc*. pf heavy armament in the Dreadnoughts is considered to unfit' them for work m the North Sea latitudes. A eun can only fire with accuracy as far as the nian who it and it is, therefore, urged.that in the North Sea waters—which are proverbially foggy, even on the finest uay-'-it is very seldom that the atmosphere snffioiontly clears to allow of a combat at suoh lone ranges as 7000 to 10,000 yards, for which die" tances the Dreadnought armament iu especiallyl constructed. . ■ ; .-■■'■,• ; ' The deficiency in secondary armament has been remedied, to some extent,.in later types: ;but the shortcomings in this respect are -still .very great.", , . ' : . . ..•■■- i , , ! ' ;