A COOL RECEPTION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1501, 25 July 1912, Page 5

A COOL RECEPTION.

GERMAN PRESS AND THE SPEECH. "SENSELESS COMPETITION," (Roc. July 24, 10.15 p.m.) London, July 21. Tho Berlin press has received Mr. Churchill's speech coolly. Tho "Tacglische Rundschau" compliments Mr. Churchill on his frankness. The "Vossischo Zeitung" asks who 1 toga il the senseless competition in armaments: Germany invented neither Dreadnoughts, super-Dreadnoughts, nor submarines. The journal hopes that the British people irill becomo convinced of Gor*.

many's peaccfulness and strive for a confidential understanding ending tho competition. Tho "Frankfurt Gazette" says that Britain acknowledges that alone she cannot maintain her necessary position in tho Mediterranean, and asks whether Britain will still fail to seo that nothing but the phantom of German offensive armaments has brought her to this pnss. NO FRESH AUSTRIAN SHIPS. (Rec. July 24, 9.45 p.m.) Vienna, July 24. The "Neii© Freie Presse" declares that Austria's naval construction is purely defensive and not directed against any Power. The 1913 Estimates will not contain any further provision of Dreadnoughts. IN THE DOMINIONS. FOUNDATION OF AN IMPERIAL POLICY. CANADIAN APPROVAL. (Rec. July 24, 10.15 p.m.) Ottawa, July 24. The Liberal newspapers regard Mr. Churchill's speech as laying the foundation of an Imperial policy, and assuring the overseas Dominions of enhanced importance in Imperial affairs. The "Ottawa Free Press" predicts that a special session of Parliament will pass an immediate naval contribution of from 10 to 15 million dollars W2,000,000 to i£3,000,0D0). Tlio French-Canadian Literal press deplores Canada's participation in British naval defence. Almost general support is given to Mr. Borden's attitude in aiding Britain's naval expansion. The French Canadians, however, fear for Canadian autonomy, and a, section of them deplores Mr. Borden being led away by the big Navy party in Great Britain.

SOUTH AFRICA'S SHARE. (Re'c. July 24, 10.15 p.m.) Cape Town, July 24. The newspapers aro discussing tho inadequacy of the South African naval contribution to the Empire. THE WORLD'S FLEETS. BRITISH STRENGTH. Based as it is on a rigid and artificial test of efficiency—that of age—the White Paper of the fleets of the world issued by the Admiralty last month (slates the London "Telegraph") is a misleading document. _ This is not tho fault of the authorities, but necessarily follows from the terms of the order of the House of Commons, which is for a return "showing the fleets of Groat Britain, France, Russia, Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary, United States of America, and Japan, on March 31, 1912, omitting battleships and armoured cruisers over twenty years old from dato of launch, and distinguishing both built and building, battleships, cniisers of various grades, torpedo vessols, tor-pedo-boat destroyers, torpedo boats, and submarines." A German "battleship" of 4034 tons figures sido by side with the British battleship Orion of 22,500 tons; both have a "nose," and both count equally. Moreover, the age'limit does not apply to torpedo craft, and thus it happens that torpedo boats built in the early 'eighties have their placo in tho return. , Nevertheless, the return is of real value, handled with judgment, as an index to the progress of tho great fleets. Interest centres in tho. largest armoured ships, and tho totals are as follow BATTLESHIPS. BuildBuilt. in<?.* ■Great Britain 55 10 Franco 21 7 Russia 9 7 Germany 33 !) Italy 8 6 Austria-Hungary 12 4 United States 31 6 Japan 16 2 BATTLE CRUISERS. BuildBuilt. ing.' : Great Britain. .'. ; 4 6 Germany 2 4 Japan — k ■ *These ships are all Dreadnoughts, of which, built and building, Great Britain possesses 3i, Germany 21, Italy G, and Austria 4. This statement does not convey a correct view of the relative strength of the battle fleets of the Great Powers. Examination shows that five of the German battleships are of about 4000 tons, and that ten others mount nothing more formidable than an old type of 9.4 in. gun. and that there is a ship launched in; 1892 with the old llin. weapou. These men-of-war belong to the second line or the scrap-heap; at least 11 of them are not effective, and thus th 4 total for Germany is reduced to 22. But. this corrected German figure _ must not be placed alongside the British aggregate of 55, for that, includes three ships of the Royal Sovereign type, tho six vessels of the Canopus class, which will never be seen at sea again, to say nothing of the !) Majesties, launched 1.-etween 1804 and 1896,.and now fast nnproaching final withdrawal from the fighting line, though they are to be manned next month in order to take part in the forthcoming manoeuvres. If the Majesties are excluded, the number of battleships remaining is 37, and if they are retained it is 46. In other words, in effective ships, malting allowance for the inferiority of typo of many of tho older German vessels, and not. ignoring the battle cruisers, we have reached a standard of two keels to one against Germany, in comparison with six keels to ono in 1898, when the first German Navv Art was passed. If we can maintain such a. lead as we now possess, we should havo no reason to complain, and it would be wise statesmanship if this margin of safety—against invasion, injury to commerce. and Imperial disintegration—were assured in future years.