The Dominion. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1913. THE NAVAL HOLIDAY SCHEME.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1929, 11 December 1913, Page 6

The Dominion. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1913. THE NAVAL HOLIDAY SCHEME.

The .;,"Kaval holiday" scheme which the First Lord of the Admiralty (Mn. Chuechill) has advocated on more than one occasion has just been discussed by the United States House of Representatives, which has passed a resolution authorising President Wilson to co-operate with Mb. Churchill in the matter. It is, of' course, generally admitted that the cost of armaments has been mounting up at an alarming rate, and any practical proposals for keeping naval expenditure within bounds would merit most careful consideration. Sea power is no doubt an important matter for the United States, but it is not nearly such a vital question for that country as it is for the British Empire. The naval problem which Britain has to face is very different from that which presents itself to America, and the British Parliament could not commit itself to any holiday scheme without knowing exactly what Germany and other European Powers intended to do. There seems to be no end to this race for battleships, and some idea of its enormous cost is afforded by n recent White Paper, which contains the following return, giving the total expenditure in I&KS, with the increase compared with 1004:—

Cost in 1913. Inc. on 1904. 1 £ £ , Great Britain.. 47.021,000 6,959,000 United States . 23,499,000 9,318,00.0 ■Russia 21,2-19,000 12.300,000 Germany 23,030,000 12,934,000 Franco 20,6d8,C00 8,468,000 Italy 10.158,000 5,158,000 Japan 9,801,000 7,757,000 Austria 6,006,000 3,391,000 Total 170,671,080 66,283,000 An increase of £66,000,000 in expenditure since 190-1 naturally gives rise to a feeling of uneasiness, but a. recent cablegram shows that the tendency is still upward, for the French Estimates for 1914 provide for an expenditure of £25,357,000, an increase of about four and a' half millions. The personnel of the British Navy is about double that of any other navy in the world. The number last year amounted to 146,000 (the estimated average being 142,500), the number for France being 63,506, Rus-sia-52,463, Germany 73,170, Italy 37,095 Austria-Hungary 19,091, United States 67,907, and Japan (numbers on active list at beginning of 1912-13) 51,054.

Mr. Churchill's latest pronouncement regarding a "naval holiday" was made at Manchester on Octoljer 18, when he stated:

Nest year, apart from tho Canadian | ships, or their equivalent, apart from anything that may bo required by new developments in the Mediterranean, we are to lay down four great ships to the Germans' two. Now, we &ay, in all friendship and sincerity, to onr great neighbour Germany: "If you will put off beginning your two ships for twelve months from the ordinary date when you I would have begun litem we will put off beginning our four Mips, in absolute good faith, for exactly I ho same period. This proposal did not receive much support in Britain outside of the ranks of the extreme Radicals, nor did it evoke a more encouraging response from Germany than previous suggestions of the same character. The Times expressed the' opinion that the. .scheme was impracticable, unci pointed out' that naval strength could not be reckoned in terms of capital ships alone, and if the proposal were accepted Germany would not be precluded from spending Hie. money she _ would thereby save in building minor warships and submarines; or she might force the pace with France by a further increase in the German Army. Germany's shipbuilding programme is fixed by legislation, which would have to be repealed before she could, fall in with 31 n. Churchill's suggestion. Hitherto her policy has been to go unswervingly forward, and there is a strong feeling in Britain that these i

continual appeals for a naval rest are worse than useless, and that the British Government should go straight on with its programme. Whatever Germany or any other nation may do Britain must have sufficient naval power at her disposal to meet any emergency that may arise. She cannot afford to take any risks in a matter of such supreme importance.

The statement by the German Chancellor that good relations at present exist between Britain and Germany, and that they are working together harmoniously in connection with several questions of foreign policy will be received with pcneral satisfaction. It is to be hoped that nothing will occur to disturb this friendly feeling, and that the mutual relations of the two countries may be kept "in tranquil paths." It will be noted, however, that Herr vox Bethjsaxn-Holl-weg makes no reference to a naval holiday, and we have no right to blame him on that account. Germany must be allowed _to mind her own business in this as in other Matters. Her naval policy is "full speed ahead," and it is Britain's business to maintain an adequate margin of supremacy. While recognising Mr. Churchill's good intentions, the Berlin correspondent of the Kohihrhe Zeitunij states quite frankly that the proposed reduction in naval armaments "can scarcely be successful for an appreciable time." Other German critics are 1 not so polite. Ow: suggests that Mr. Churchill should make "a year's pause in oratory on international naval matters"; another states that the proposal is too transparent, for discussion; while the Krcuzzcitvny remarks that if "a straightforward understanding with Germany is desired England would do well to put a stop to Mr. Churchill's oratorical excursions into the domestic affairs of the German Empire." When Mr. Church-, ill spoke of a "holiday" on a previous occasion, the German Chancellor said he would wait until ths British Government comes forward with concrete proposals; and with regard to the latest suggestion the German Government has so far maintained a silence which must bo regarded as significant. Whatever other nations may do British supremacy on the sea, must be maintained at all costs, and if Continental Powers press on with their building programmes, Britain certainly cannot tnke a holiday, nor can she allow, anv diminution of_ her margin of superiority. This is an absolutely vital matter both from the point of view of the Mother Country and the Empire as a whole.