GERMAN CHALLENGE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 517, 26 May 1909, Page 7

GERMAN CHALLENGE.

»——— WHAT IS BEHIND? PATIENT PREPARATION TO BTRIKE. ' THREE PRECEDENTS. ; (nr TBtitosirn—ritEss association—cortEtonr.) » Sydney, May 25. Mr. Clarke,.Canadian Government Agent speaking at the Empire League demonstration, said ho did not believe that Germany was unfriendly to England, but Germany had had marvellous success. With characteristic patience, eatd Mr. Clarke, Germany made preparations, then sprang, upon Denmark, then Austria, then Franco. And her people had beon mado drunk by a class among them. She has at this moment an. unsatisfied ambition. The speaker added:. • ■'If wo could believo that Germany, if at the head of the nations', could do better for the world, and would stand for the oppressed against the oppressor, I for one would bow to the will of God. But I do hot believe that she could do for the nations what Britain has done." . ■;. .' ' '. THE EIGHT DREADNOUGHT REPORT. NOT CONFIRMED.' GUNS AND MOUNTINGS ORDERED FOR .. TWO BIG SHIPS. !': (Roc. May 25, 10.35 p.m.) London, May 25. In tho House of Commons the Prime Minister, Mr.' Asquith, /refused to confirm the newspaper report that the British -'Govern* ! merit had decided to lay down oight Dreadnoughts this year. - ''• : ,Tho Admiralty has placed orders with 'the Armstrong and Vickofs' firms .for guns and gUli mountings for two Dreadnoughts. [The British Naval Estimates provide for the -laying down of four Dreadnoughts in 1909-10, and for the laying down, of an additional four —termeilthe conditional squadfoh-if they are ; found to be needed. The newspaper renort rk ferrcd to was to the effect that the GowSmittt has now decided to lay down the additional four this year (900-10), in view of the.- German building activity, plus the Dreadnought X KTVv thß members of the 3 nplo. Alliance, Austria and Germany. - i This • aUit ' d ° CS b« refuses ; ; -VICE-ADMjRAL POORE'S LUCIDITY.'-.:;' Sydney, May 25. ■, Tho i'Daily Telegraph" says -tliat,. ViceAdmiral Sir Richard Pooro.deserves cordial thanks for ,such 'a clear statement' of the naval situation, -that, neither politician.; nor elector ban in future remain iii ignorance of, the issues awaiting settlement through their action. . . '.',' '.." '•'■■ V -T" '. - -I ,"*rt,j','' •. . !, THE FINANCIAL TEST.■."*; N ;:;^DEATH DUTIES NOT.ACCEPTED. ' ! ;. ■'■'■'■'" Borlih, May 24. ;,-.-The; Finance Oommitteo. of the' Reichstag hai rojected tho Succession Duties Bill, ineluding the Stato's right of inheritance. ' POWER. ■■';'■ .PROSPECTIVE'POSITiON IN 1912. •'ln the course of a rer>ly to tho open letter writtoii by,Mr! Churohili to his Dundee constituents/ Mr. H, W. Wilson deals''with the big-gun power (in 1912),0f Britain as against . Germany alone, -also as .against Germany,and Austria. Hnccnt cablegrams as. to the renw'ad activity,-of Italy iii.the. Triple, Alliance, and her Dreadnought programme, bliow tint Sir; Wi son might have extended his argument w liioludo thfe whole of the Triplice. This iswhat no writcsi— •,-.-■ . ■ Jtr, ChnroMU tells us that the British battle fioot of pre'Dwdhought. ships to-day mouuts \ ? „VI - ■ B i? s awinst, /*). German lliii. guns, It is, therefore,, nioro than .three, to ono n heavy guns. -But by 1912 the position will ftave been radically transformed, supposing that j. bngland lias sixteen Dreadnoughts ready for sea to .thirteen; German, It will'stand 'thus, eliminating British and German shins which will have dropped out of tholine;. . : . > V--'British"''l2in. guns, 2-14. ' > Germunllin-. and 12in. guns. 190 or 196. £ n i d -It ' s i known .to our artillerists, not only that the now German llin. gun - is every whit as powerful ai the new British 12in. gun, but that each German gun can fire twice as many, rounds• .without , noediug repair; The' British superiority will thus fall from three to one, to five to four, so far 'as battleships are' concerned.'! -i plus Austria. i„ l { n A ," stri \ co PP' eles her four Dreadnoughts in 1912, asi she is proposing to do, the German' people, who have an offensive: and defensive allianco with her, ooUld place in line a larger heavy guns than the British Navy. 1 Jho figures would standi follow.--- ■ -Btitish 12in. guns 244. German ami; Austrian llin. and 12in„ guns, A superiority of heavy'guns on the side of the allies I And behind the allies' fleets are sii millions of armed, trained, and disciplined men: behind tho British Fleet, a mere handfu) of regulars. <( It is true that Mr. Churchill 'tells us that no reasonably probable combination against this country of any two existing naval Powers can be discerned." But ho must bo blind tn recent events to talk thus, when Germanv has just-inflicted a check npoii the Triple Eiitenia' by supporting Austria against Russia. Has ho forgotten the alliance between Germany aad Even if Eight are ■'■■'■ Jn"% i°" « amin ">Hon, his oasa for standing still and not increasing the British programmo or .laying : down the e ght British Dreadnoughts vanishes. Even if all the eight British' Dreadnoughts are begun this year, there W rtV&frt :S T^, r J ty > sfro'eKr. demands on the British side. The figures will-stahd thusi G ™T aDd • Au6triaD »'n.' and- 12in, guns,' HvW™*},*** '? so small thal tha loss of two or three,shins by mines or torpedoos would wipe i out. Yet Lord Goschen thYeoyears ago warned this country that the danger from mines demanded a .mneh larger mZToX on our part than heretofore. In one So day Japan lost through these deadly enS one-third of her battleship force