SEA SUPREMACY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 571, 28 July 1909, Page 7

SEA SUPREMACY.

RACE FOR SHIPS.

EIGHT DREADNOUGHTS TO BE BUILT.

GERMAN PROGRAMME.

"CONTINGENTS" DO NOT PREJUDICE THE 1910 CONSTRUCTION. ■

(By iTelecraph.-I'roas Assoclatlon.-Oopyrlirht.) V I ' ..(Rec. July 27, 10.5 p.m.) London, July 27. In the House of Commons, in Committee-of-Supply on .the shipbuilding voto, the First Lord of the. Admiralty, Mr. M'Kenna, announced .that after a .very anxious, and careful examination of the conditions of naval shipbuilding, in foreign countries, the Government had.concluded that it was ; . desirable, to take all necessary steps to lay down tho four contingent Dreadnoughts by April, 1910, so that they should be completed by '/March, 1912.' ■ The; statement' was' received with cheers. [Tlio "contingent" Dreadnoughts are the four ships which -were conditionally, mentioned in the Navy Estimates for laying down,in. April, 1910, as apart' from' the four Dreadnoughts which the Estimates definitely provide for in 1909. Of the latter four, ■ two aro being laid down this month, and two in November next.] An Improved Cruiser. Mr. M'Kenna went on to refer to tho two Dreadnoughts—part •of this . year's programme— which aro to.'. bo laid down next November.', He stated -that: the Admiralty had decided that one of these two ships, instead '" of being a battleship,, should be an improved cruiser.": .This ■ decision. had been arrived .at; in view.;of, tho need of cruisers that would bo abkv to '.outrun or to capture • "tho cnetay's. ships. Mr.. M'Kenna added .that ■it would, bp. possible to .'build cruisers faster and moro powerful than those of tho Invincible: typo .(Invincible, Indomitable, and Inflexib!e). : "i :':0 Y;,;-,-;'' ;'•

•:;': Mr. Dillon (Nationalist) asked whether tho Germans ,;had..,.aiiticipated .their, .naval con-' Strtict.:on : pr'6grammo or whether on tho other hand;they had.kept tho undeistanding given - to the. Foreign .Office, that' tho programmo would not.bo .accelerated; :'... . V Cdrmany and, Reduction of., Armaments. .: Mr./M'Kenna 'did not think tho.. further comparison ; with .the, shipbuilding programme; of Germany.-was;'desirable, but;he might say .thatvßritam'' in 1906 .an earnest dbsjr'e' lo>rostr;ot:the. rapid 'growth, of. armament Britain'; and'; other /; countries.- ..-No, individual country ceuld -stand: out' by itself-'an-d.restrict it-3 -armaments. Britain-gave, the load in 'that - dircotiori; • and had; laid down bight- largo, armoured ships during; the .past. . tli-rcCi years;, iduriug which' Germany, laid :doivh':clevbn.;/y ;','! ' : U--" ■'-';>..

is.impossible,'"' declared Mr. 'M'Kenna, ■ ;"to',continuo on tho sarnb; lines,'' and, failing an': international. arrangement, we. arc bound to 'tako ; all necessary steps: to secure ; predominance on.the sea,.not only now,-but..in tho. future." (CSicbrsi) Ho strongly urgedthci:.'earl.y7.;laying ; down; of tho-, contingent ■Dreadnoughts." '•.:''/..;■'/. ..•.'.,'•'•■. : ... '>'<*''!' -'.OV-' '<''•-''.: ;^'''! V''-"v'■". .:",- ":" ;:"■. . A Llttto Tdavy Motion.:.:;:.'/ ; ; .;'- : Mr'. - 'iJi E.,Ellis; (Liberal) moved a rcduc--tion in' the shipbuilding vote.', Ho 'declared, 'tliat't!io'Navy.,scare;\vas'dead.' 'It was.bet-;' tor to come to'an'.'agrcomont with tho other Powers.'...;. •'."'.'■.'.'■':.'■' ,''.'' '.;'

V''Tlie Prirao ,Minister, .'■: Mr. -Asquith, emphasised ,'that whikY Mr.: Balfour (Leader of: the Opposition) .and. ho..'had , compared tho shipbuilding programmes'- of Britain and. Germany), they; ; did so without any'.idea; of' suggesting that-there was any .indication- of an .impending/ conflict; On.'-the contrary;' ho arid -Mr. Balfour were most careful' to "say that thero was uot; any "cause for■ quarrel': auywlicro in .the world Briand'Germany,'and if -diplomacy.'.-'were conducted as : he: believed it would bo, with mutual':consideration, ■■thero. was no' reason why such a difference;should arise..- -> '.'..

i "Ccntlngonts" Not Connected with ,Colcnial Offers.

Mr. Asquith continued that tho Government had strenuously endeavoured to rcadi an international accommodation; but other nations weio in no mood to participate. Tho Government had failed in this attempt, but the dcor was still open to further effort, Meanwhile they must deal with the facts. Ho challenged tho objectors to the vote to say how they would settles tho shipbuilding programme irrespective of what, other Powers woro doing. It was the: Government's unanimous judgment to lay down tho four contingent Dreadnoughts ,in April, 1910,' and mcanwhilo to order tho gun-mountings and other accessories, ' i Ho explained that these four contingent Dreadnoughts were without prejudice to tho 1910 naval construction programme, and.had no connection with the.offers of Dreadnoughts by the colo-

: Mr. Asquith added:—•." We have all recognised and acknowledged, with , the utmost besides the generosity ; and. loyalty prompting' their offers, the .disposition that the colonies lave.shown to accommodate the form their, offers shall take;'to ,the real re'quirements of the : Imperial Navy and of the situation generally. We are confident, that the, Defence. Conference, will reach a result that will be satisfactory all round."' Opposition Votes With Government. Mr. Balfour oriticised the Government's tardiness in laying down the four extra ("contingent") Dreadnoughts. He de-, nounced the Ministerial plan! is utterly, inadequate. . ' ■'.;'"' Later,' after Mr. Dillon, Mr. Barnes (Labour), and Mr., J. Murray Macdonald (Liberal) had 'supported, the motion to reduce the vote, - Mr. Balfour, announced that he was voting with the Government. He had learned that the number of members dissenting from the Government policy was : very largo, and he did not think it right to allow an impression to get abroad that tho House of Commons was doubtful regarding tho decision to undertake • further shipbuilding. . Mr. Balfour's declaration was recoived by members with loud cheers. The motion for, reduction of tho shipbuilding vote was rejected, the voting being: For tho Reduction ... ... „{ 98 Against ... .'.i.. ... ... ... 280 . .■'• Majority .against '.- ...182 - The minority who voted for the reduction included.2s Liberala., Tho rest word Irish Nationflliata and Labow member ; ' :