GIFT BATTLESHIPS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1611, 30 November 1912, Page 5

GIFT BATTLESHIPS.

ARE THEY TO RELIEVE BRITAIN?

".DAILY NEWS " ARGUMENT,

By TeleEtaph-Press AssocJatton-CoDrrieht London, November 28. The "Daily News" (Liberal), in an arttclo on tbo gift warships, says that what people are anxious to know is whether ships presented or built by tiie Dominions arc to be of real assistance, or ctly an additional burden to tile British people. If the ships aro an unnecessary expansion of an otherwise adequate programme, then the Dominions aro doing good to nobody, but are harming themselves and the British peoplo.

AN EMPHATIC REJOINDER. POLICY FRAUGHT WITH DANGER, (Reel November 29, 11.40 p.m.) London, November 29. The "Daily Telegraph" declares that tho suggestion to reduoe British 'shipbuilding in proportion to the aid given, by the Dominions, is so dishonourable and so fraught with danger to the future cooperation of the British peoples in r.aval defence, that if adopted Britain, would condemn herself as a traitor in the eyes of the Empire. The writer reoalls the admission by Mr. Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, that Great Britain, at the enemy's selected moment, might be from ?5 to 80 per cent, weaker than at an average moment, owing to ships undergoing repairs. After the Dominions had done their best Britain would be a battle squadron eliort, owing to progress of Germany, AustriaHungary, and Italy. Even Mr. Churohill only provided 25 battleships in Home waters, with full crews, as compared with Germany's 29 fully-oommissioned 'battleships, at Britain's average moment. The older ships of the fifth and sixth battle squadrons have only half crews,' and there are no British battleships in the Mediterranean to meet Austria's six and Italy's "eight. At ail average moment Britain was supreme neither in northern nor southern waters. Defeat in the north would mean invasion, and defeat in the south would cut off half of the grain supplies 'of the United Kingdom.