NAVAL RIVALRY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 492, 27 April 1909, Page 8

NAVAL RIVALRY.

v ' DEBATE IN HOUSE OF COMMONS. THE COMPARISON IN DREADNOUGHTS. RAPIDITY OP GERMAN CONSTRUCTION. . The Brifciah papers • oantaining. the repprt of the ■■ great ' debate 1 of March ■16 in tho .. v f House of Commons on .tho naval estimates, '■ " ronched 'Wollir.gton yosterday. Wogivo below tho following': extracts,- additional to . jwhat waa recoivcd by cabloj from reports of ' tho debate. !:>, iMr: R.-.M'Konnaj -First Lord of the Ad-?i-V. niiralty,' said: "This timo last year ..wo lia'd i ■I ;; >: >: to/ contemplate - bvo .German J ships' under.' con* . : 6tniotion, threo of which-would bo completed ■ in the. autumn ot ,1910, and four more ships to' be oommonced about Augtist, 1908, and ! commissioned. :in February, 1911. In: view »■:.i -of: this ,state'ofi.'.attairs,', the House :of.:Commons last year 'approved of the programme ,v of two largo -ships to bo laid .down- at such a timo as, would give to this . country, a total : • w of: 12 of r these new ships as against tho posEibie oompletod . German total;of nine. The difficulty in which ithe .- Government v find themselves placedattkis moment is 1 -that t> -we'do not know,' as wo thought ' - the ■ Tate at ' which. Gorman construction is taking place. (Opposition cheers.) * ' Germany's l Powerful Navy, v."Wo know that tho Germans havo a law, which, when all tho ships under it havo been . completed,' ivill havo their navy more .powserful ithan iany,;at :prescnt in- existence.. Wo . know. that,-, but -.wo'. do : not • lcnow. the rate', at .-.v. which the-provisions: of tin's Act aro.to be' ■ ■ carried-into .execution. ; We now .expect' that :'i%.!;:fbwiiGerinanyshi^Vbf:;the;A?o^9: ; programme; : will be completed, not in February, 1911, v» i : but, in ' the; autumn ,of .1910.* ■ I am informed; : • moreover, .that tho construction, of tho ma- . ~ tonal, wthe; manufacture of the arma- ; 1 1 meuts, ; guns,,: andgun mountings ;■ have: al- ? v. ready . begun for four-raore-ships, which, - according to the navy law, belong to the pro.gramme of-*1909-1910iTherefore/- we'vliave to take stock jofs tho. new:situation,' in.-which : -we - reckon - not: nine,. : f l3 :•• German ships ■an may.:be .completed; in 1911, and,in 1912 such ; : ,further ships: as may. bo begun in tbocourso i •iOf' thenext ..finaUoial -vear, or;: laid. down in ' . . April; 1910. > .Wo ■ may: stop hero, and pay ,■,tribute -.to .tho extraordinary, growth : of the , . -power of'constructing ships 'of'., tho. largest ' size in Germany. Two years ago, I ; behove, .•there.; were- inGcrmahyr^-with. the possiblo . , exception i of-ono"-or two ships ."in • privtrto v, yards—no slips capable of carrying a Dread- ■ nought. To-day -they havo actually no less . than 14 .such)-slips, -and < threo ■ r.'-i construction,; and what, is -true- of- tho' 1 ullc ' . .. : of ~t he ships is ,true also of the guns, armour/ ;;.v; and .mounting. Two years ago any one fa- ,. miliar with the capacity of Krupps and other : . great German firms would ; have: ridiculed- the of J their undertaking the supply l ■ 'of all .the componont partsrof oach battleship .

: -i;m i;a .single year.; . To-day 'this i productive : isa realisedfact,and it .will tax tte resources of our.-own great-.lirms iif.we'are . to retain -supremacy. - in rapidity, and V' lume of construction." What of the Lord Nelsons? v . 'After;explaining thatj-if Germany;:accel<srcted- the .building: of four. ships laid down /. ; for, 1910-11;; as -she-;was .understood to ;navo dono with a previous programme; ;she would . bavo 17. Dreadnoughts ancl Invincibles'by. tho v - ' spring , of 1912.. . Mr; M'Konna .stated that ,■ Great Britain should bo prepared to; meet this i contingency -by; horself: having 20.' "But;" ~be added, ''wo. can: only meet ■ that contm,wncy if tho Government aro'empowered by .\, v .rarliamcnt. to : giyo ; th6;"neccs6ajy orders in - the course of; the .present.year.; ;I can well "v/ imagino ■ that'this ' mfrthod- of 'calculating: in ..Dreadnoughts and Invincibles alone may seem V-unsatisfactory and unfair to many persons. v^ i vfl.'!T)w;imay^;say^.what;:li^vh^mo?of. i tlie ; 3 /.Lord ;Nelsons, King Edwards, Duncans, and Formidable, and.. earlier -battleships, on IP! which oar- naval! superiority has- been constantly- recognise*!?.'• Is ; no accouht'.•' to• bo taken of our powerful fleet of armoured cruisers, numbering no less than 35? Yes, ■■'.thO'BoardofthbAdmiraltyihasnot'forgotteD '}£ these, ships..-They, still constitute a''mighty fleet. Tho Dreadnought has not rendered i them,obsolete,:.and mamrof them; would ; give : ft good account,crf th<;inj.telves m tho line of battle for many years to como, r but though they, hot been rendered obsolete by tiie v. and. 'the.'lnvincibles,' yet their life' has: been "shortened.' If-.twelve more ..-Dreadnoughts and Inducibles are put'in commission'in lOlSj' -tn'elvo-o'ther large shipsnnist .. \havo passed ! out . of commission. '. The only • • condition on' which, they/can • all - bo' retained ; . .in tlie. fleet at the'-'samo-. time' is' that we .. should greatly.iucrease our personnel and our ,;x dockyards- at -.expense ■ which would! be -truly : ' staggering, l:arid-.. with. '-resulting.; fighting •'•• ®®P a city'' which would not bo . worth ;tho. cost. •.)Vo .:havo;; then; in making oiir •• comparison -reckon'; such.. ships-Mfmll.ttfin on%tho .active list. .On' the -present :■ scale ~ of our navy our numerical strength in-battle-ships-which-couljl bo. fighting ::: - about 50, /.consistingof fully : commissioned - ; and nucleus orew ships'in vtho .spocial service seventy men on : ' ' i" tho dockyards''.! hands. ' , -ljmi'fc"''.t»^o'OT-^'fco'tal;- , - : i-uiiil»ers~ ; . itis*obviously essential that- wo shall 'iiot fall bei A ll th f lost ■>V »"d ;thoro,wiir.c.omo''a-tixae^^'wh'en, : ;by'almost automatic process, all tho ships of tho earlier' •..typo than tho Dreadnought will bo relegated to tho scrap hoap. ; ,-" T ho maintenance of our superiority will ' then depend upon oar. superiority, in'Dread-' noughts alono. I have givon reasons for betliat tno Go'rnian.'powor. of .'construc- • tloa . of ship is at'this' timo ali •.. j'wsy.it not .fully, equal to .our owny owing' , to, their rapid, dovelopmon't in tie. tet twelve . months, and wo cannot'be assured of retain-' :. ing our superiority at sea if over , wo allow ourselves to fall behind, in-this newest and best class of ship.. .- Wo have, indeed.-great superiority over any foreign Power bot!i in armoured and .protected cruisers, but 'imposed us . obligations of tno Empire/ and '• our imperative:nwd to keep, open ,tho highway of "the • '.eoita. : J here is . no nation in the worldwhich v foreign trade as we have/:-'lts'loss ; us -would' ,J jiation it would an ine6iiv'enieiice n 1 v"..'' * /'• ''x^C^y.' 1 Mr. Balfour's Criticism. • Balfour, having' discussed tho :policy • : „„n h °. "ovorament m the past,; continued:'. What I want to insist upon is'that whatever unit of shipbuilding time you tako you - v : 1 the same. unit.' for iKotL countries.' There was a" most. happy ! period for this country when this countrj- was so' far in advance of foreign rivals that : we rxnild . safely wait . to. sc-o tho ships they had .'down ! . a » (i -then 'wo,, ourselves, laid ' down ! some slightly f suponor :■ specimen , of tho 'samo typ«)-: : cohfident;:th'at,:whi2n : . : theVforeign ship ; : was'. launched-to ;shauld -be ahlo ourselves to launch a 'superior ship at- the samo mo- ; ment. That; happy.iieriod has Vgono. AVo . thatyriow.'' ,f After.discussing probabio pi-oipiimmes for several: years' to • como Mr. Balfour said : "No oho now. doubts, ) thoreforo, that ; I was right'' in my original .statoment;that"w©■ liiive tov'coiint : on tlie possibility of. there being seventeen Dreadnoughts to our fourteen in- July,-1911,' and ,■ > even. 'when;; the •; two ships laiddown . next September, aro . built and eomo into, cornvinission - in. 1911, wo shall . thou have only . sixteon Dreaclnoughts to Germany's seventeen. .Then-if tho. Germans', go on at that rate, which is mpro than possible, they will fcaye f. Dreadnoughts to r; our tiventy. ITio hypotheses < aro there, and ' I Want to mako it: clear to the Government !.; and to tho House tliat eight Dreadnoughts hive been laid dora in 1008, by Germanj. If four aro already laid down in 1909 thero : vall bo sovontoen on AprU 'l, 19.12. . If eight . L aixj laid doivn, as eiglit, have been: laid down : last: year, thoro wrll bo tiveirfcy-ono on April 1,.;1912,; to our twonfcy. and if the Germans imitate the policy of the present Governjr.ont, and lay , down: not only their eight in the .financial year, but begin a now group of four when the, Govomment : propose their group of four on April 1 tivelvo months hence; .they will .'then have twentv-fivo." ,' .Mr. M'Kenna;: That might bo possible on papor, hut it, is beyond the- constructive . 'Powes-of the German shops and

'Mr.; Balfour: ' 'In other ■ words, they cannot , lay , down ; eight, ships'.this year and four at the.; ! beginriing. ; of- 'the . next -'financial 'year. is riot-tho: information:,that has reached mo." ' ' Tho Prime Minister's Speech. . ;Mr., Asquith (tho Prime Minister) -said; .'?Tho, British: Government, moro with aviow to; ascertaining whether - any,. proposal for rnutual !:-re!ductiori 'of'expenditure for, riayal: purposes would -bo accepted by tho" German Government, - has raised the question; but' wd have been assured moro than once,, arid , ;.in';tho:most forma) .'mariner, that their naval expenditure is governed solely by roferenco to . their own needs, and that " their.: programme does not depend on ours. The'y tell: us quito : plainly, that if wo build 100 Dread-, noughts wo must not assume' that : they jWouldVadd on tho other hand,- if wo build no Droad'noughts' at/all. 'they.J'wpuld; go: on .with their programme. Soit- is.;perfectly, - clear:..tliat, -arrarigemerit: for mutual reduction. It' is 110. business of ;^rsyl» i '- i offorj,any...'OTtidism;OT' i advico.si , . : accept -tho facts as they stato'them.'-. Froin 'ihe: point,;6f view, of,, a general naval policy, as well as from that of a • financial • and eeonbmic . pblicyl ' ' nothing is worsethan, to; overbuild yourselves in the way ,: of great .. .shjps.-I ■- agree - you ought--.'- always ! ;to, • kcop; >:• - your, ■ requisite" ; margin of supe"iority,. but to go boyond that. is,, in' tho first' placo, to spend the .money of tho taxpayers - for a.' purpose for which it is - riot needed, and; in the .nextplace, in tho ever-shifting evolution , of naval ,coastruction, it -is, to commit ■- your- • selves, possibly in advance, to a particular ; tyi>e" ,whichj,,;in; v a .short time, may .becomo obsolete .-or...capable of, such largo improvements that if youliavo sunkan .enormous amount of money in.it you would find your-, •selves . very, soon behind your neighbours, who .have,, had the -.wisdom to hold • back Taking December, 1910, so far as our ship-' ;building;-programme, administration, is -concerned, assuming tho prograriihios. to ; have been carried out in tho manner in which thoy-wero prpjected,'- wo should -havo 10 Dreadnoughts as against Germany's five. Is that agreed top". j ? ■ V,-. . S Tho German Development. ,' f .After.upholding the.-rcply'of Mr. M'Kenna :to Mr. Balfour's. worst progn'ostications/and declaring .that the ,were' "making such provision as pruderico shows to. be;necossaiy for all - contingencies" i .which' 'we' can reasonably; anticipate •at ■ the. present moment," Sir. Asquith concluded by saying: ■ I'i'lf anyorio; will refor to the'speech I -made a.year ago ho will see that ! said, with somo confidenco, ; that"whereas,.it would take- tho ..Germans 30. months : to: build' ono of these ships, wo could do ;it in 2-1. I was not, of courso, committirig myself precisely to tho number of. months, but. I '..did; inaintain that : wo, had a ; suh'staiitial- advantage in 'tho rate of construction, ivliich -Jwoiild always : enable lis to .quickly.overtako :.thein • whenever, it oc-; cuned. I. am'sorry to say that is not ; tho • case; .: .I believed.it:to be the fact ati-"the" timo at! which; I spoke,. but. there , hasbeen. an. ! enprmpus';'development':in Germany, not only :iri -therprpyision.'-of .shipyards'; and ship's on which tnei; hulk or fabric of tho -ship, can .bo built or.' repaired, butwhat I still more seriously say,.ill provision of the gun mountings arid armaments', of these great ' monsters, th'eso Dreadnoughts, which aro • now the ;domin!vting .type, ! 1 will .'venture to say 1 , being ;mostya.rixious not; to .'excite . anything in tho nature of .unnecessary alarm in this country, such enormous dovclopment is so serious from our national; point:'of view that 'wo could no longer, purselvos as'.we could 1 a^year-;ago; .ivith: reasori^-; : tKo" consoling: .tion;'thatiWe:hiiyo tho advanlage' in tho speed' 'and: rate at; which-ships can ;be That is ii' .vital and .most .-serious fact-' There is .no, set; of ;men r lieTo'.who' are. moro anxious tliau' wo are ; to';-saye 'moriey -for the purposes -; of .spciarrefo'rm, or-'to get -rid of this horrible, devastating, and; stdrilising expenditure. But for i the supreme; and paramount interest of : n-ational security this 'is tho -least! wliicli we can ..get from the ■. Houso of Commons;" (Cheers.). ' - ■ .