BRITAIN AND GERMANY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1373, 26 February 1912, Page 5

BRITAIN AND GERMANY.

THE PROPOSED ENTENTE. "INDISPUTABLE PRECEDENCE IN ARMAMENTS," By Telesraph—Press Association—CopxrigM (Rec. February 25, 5.5 p.m.) | Berlin, February 24. ' Count Von Rerentlow, writing to (lie I "Deutsche Tageszeitun?," stnled that if an entente between Britain unit Germany is arranged, Germany should demand tho proportion of three to two Dreadnoughts. Germany was prepared to consider an understanding, giving Britain an indisputable precedence in armament. M'ALPrSCII BAT. London, February 25. Tho .English newspapers, commenting on the persistent demands of the German press for Walfisch Bay for a largo esaport and naval base in connection with the Cape railways, also Sir Edward Grey's vague statement, state that there must bo no conees-sion of territory belonging to a self-governing dominion, without the latter's consent. CAPTtfN FABER'S SPEECH. (Rec. February 25, 5.5 p.m.) London, February 25. Captain Faber, in on address, stated that tho references in his Andover speech in November came from a highly-placed personage. Tho reason .Mr. M'Kenna was dismissed from the Admiralty was that when tho Cabinet asked him for a plan in the event of war, he replied that he had Done.

Captain W. V. Faber (Conservative, representing Hampshire West) marie a remarkable speech at Andover, alleging that when the Moroccan situation was acute Cabinet was divided as to whether to stick to France or not. ' Mr. LloydGeorge resolutely upheld adhesion to i ranee. .' Tho situation revealed our naval unpreparedness, hence Mr. Winston Churchill was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty, and bis subsequent conference with Lord Charles Beresford and his proposal for the creation of a AVnr Staff. When the pinch occurred the British fleet was divided; the first division of the Home Fleet was in the South of England, the second in Ireland, ami the third in Scotland. At that moment the Admiralty had lost'sight of the German fleet. The Cabinet did not know whnt was going on, but was aware that Germany might attack tho three fleets separately. The Admiral in charge of one- part of the fleet knew the grave' danger, and asked the officer commanding tho lniul forces if the fleet was safe under cover of the guns of the forts. He replied that if the forts fired the guns would hit the fleet instead of covering it. Cabinet wns wiso enough to send Mr. Churchill, their best man, to the Adniinilty in this emergency. Jlr. Churchill immediately wired to Admiral Fisher to return from Switzerland, and consulted Lord Charles Berosford regarding a War Board to see that no further mistakes occurred respecting coal, and forts unablo to protect tlie fleet. During the crisis, when the relations between Franco and Germany were strained, the idea was to send six divisions of regulars to help France, which would have left Great Britain defenceless, except for the Navy.