NAVY JEOPARDISED.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1166, 29 June 1911, Page 7

NAVY JEOPARDISED.

END TO BRITISH POWER. MR. BALFOUR ON DECLARATION OF LONDON. OUTSPOKEN DENUNCIATION. 13y Telegraph— Press Association—Copyricht (Rec. June 28, 10.15 p.m.) London, Juno 28. Mr. Balfour, Leader of tho Opposition, addressed a non-party meeting in tho City of members of tho Stock Exchange, merchants, and shippers, with reference to the Declaration of London. Mr. Balfour emphasised the fact that. , tho Declaration was a step backwards. It was, ho said, ambiguous regarding tho vital question cf food contraband, and was studiedly ambiguous regarding tho conversion of merchantmen into cruisers. In war-time starvation, and not invasion, was Great Britain's danger. A weaker naval Power, without imposing an effective blockade, might yet so interfere wth the supply of foodstuffs that no self-sacrifico or patriotism would enablo them in time of stress to deal with tho situation. Such a national emergency might arise under tho Declaration of London, with its provisions (1) for the treatment of food as contraband; (2) for the conversion of mercantile vessels into cruisors on tho high seas; and (3) for the capture and sinking of neutral ships. An enemy might say: "No matter what it costs, two years hence wo will use privateers in order to secure an immediate advantage in a life-and-death struggle." The Declaration of London was equivalent to tho destruction of Great Britain's great naval power. The invasion of Britain would bo a very risky operation. That was an advantage which no parchments could take away: it was an asset which could not be tossed into the gutter by any Government, however careless.

But her island position made it very difficult for Britain to exercise pressuro on a belligerent Power by blockade, and the power of seizing an enemy's vessel and goods was almost Britain's only method of exercising pressure.

The present Government had expressly refused two years, ago to try to get property at sea made non-liablo to capture, because it was the only method of dealing with belligerents.

"You do not promote peace," declared Mr. Balfour in concluding, "by making it relatively cheap and easy to go to war with Great Britain!"

Mr. L. Athcrley-Jones, ILC., Liberal M.P. for Durham, seconded the motion of protest against the Declaration of London, and contended that tho matter involved no Liberal party interests, but was solely a matter of national concern. Admiral Lord Charles Beresford, Unionist member for Portsmouth, Mr. T. Gibson Bowles, and Mr. Balfour nddressed a great overflow meeting. CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE PROTEST. London, June 27. Fifty-three Chambers of Commerce have signed a protest against tho Declaration of London, which has been forwarded to Mr., Asquith (Prime Minister) and Sir Edward Grey (Secretary for Foreign Affairs). , ADMIRAL LAMBTON'S VIEWS. (Rec. June 28, 10,45 p.m.) London, June 28. Vice-Admiral Sir Hedworth Lambton, in a letter to the newspapers, strongly opposes the ratification of the Declaration of London.