GERMAN DEFENCE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1417, 18 April 1912, Page 5

GERMAN DEFENCE.

THREE EXTRA BATTLESHIPS. NEW HILLS PUBLISHED. By Telegraph—Press Assoelntlon-Conyriglit Berlin, April l(i. Tho Defenco Bills hnvo boon published. It is proposed permanently lo commission Ihreo battleships, three largo and three small cruisers, beyond lht> existing arrangements, and to reduce tho strength of nucleus crews. Six submarines nro to be built annually, and tho personnel for 1920 will bo increased by 24,859 officers and men. Tho total cost of tho naval and military armaments under tho two Bills is set down at .£35,525,000 to 1017, of which amount .£10,500,000 is for the Navy. In 1002 Germany spent >£10,045,000 on its navy, this sum being about one-third ot that which England spent on its marine during tho same year. The German fleet then stood fifth in tho list of the world's navies. Last year (lilll)'Germany spent no less than £22,031,"88 011 its navy— an expenditure so enormous (writes tho "Manchester Guardian") that it. exceeded ours by moro than .£2,000.000, and brought tho German figures for tho year from a third (as it stood in 1902) to a full half of our gross outlay. Reckoned in the language of percentage, tho German increase was 119 per ccnt., as against our 27 per ctnt.; and yet many an honest German voter believed that, it was wo who were bent on building a fleet to destroy him and his countrymen. In these nine years Germany has risen from tho fourth 'to the second naval Power in Europe, and. from the fifth to the third place in the navy list of the world. Our merchant ships cover tho waters of the globe, yet our naval expenditure, reckoned as a protection to our sea-borne commerce, stood, last year at £2 7s. per ton of merchant shipping, whilo Germany, who has far loss commercial stake in the world, "actually spends double the sum ivo do per ton of merchant shipping. Great Britain has been not unnaturally ularmed.