The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1914. NAVAL EXPENDITURE,

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1951, 7 January 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1914. NAVAL EXPENDITURE,

The armaments question is once more being vigorously discussed in Great Britain, and a section of the Radical party is making a determined effort to compel the Government to reduce the naval _ expenditure. Feeling on the matter is becoming so strong that some people are of opin- , ion that a split in the Radical party ma-y result. Me. Lloyd-George is generally regarded , as the leader of the reduction movement, while Mn.. Churchill sees the vital importance of a shipbuilding programme that will keep paca with the programmes of Germany and other Powers. Some time ago Mr. Lloyd-George made an arresting speech in which he admitted that it would not be safe to cut down naval expenditure in. the extreme haste of some of-.-".the other nations to increase their armaments, but now he seems to have altered his opinions, and declares that , tiie present is au opportune time for overhauling the expenditure oir-ar: niaiiKMits which he thinks .-is- ■. overwhelmingly extravagant. ,'A .'number of the' Radical newspapers-have, taken up the cry in favour of ...lessening the naval burden, and are severely criticising Mr. Churchill's : pbl-)-icy. Mn. LLOi'D-GKOuoE contends, that the strain has been ...relaxed/by, the success of Sin diplomacy, and that Britain'..can; afford to quietly maintain-'her sent superiority in M the ■■ out ma-King feverish efforts.',t6 'Mnoreaso il'i until finally .there would bo a revolt wjaiflstivorfflamonls;.

iAs ;ii:; :|Cnnittci -^of J^faVt? : 'Einoifis| }'cpii'yi'f dci? ;j;elal^t!mfe';iMi;V !-..iiaSalw T'P r Sß9 s^^^Mt! VP^'iiS'^Tii; :^iisis^ !|;) i resc n iSiSii iierigri tyV ik n'clv. ihi: t, •■ixin's, aeiiSi;pie":Wdopts^;w^hu^<v /i tlie/4rii ;i rgin f J :s.H f ctjv'lAvi 1 lij ;.bc>.i rvj {clayitiand;:\th'erc;';is?;!iOt^h| ; *aigngbf , 4i4"r clsit o?o renupuslyffiny;; ■: i ncrcasoSi.nflM liSj ; iiinSpasj;Jmunniirso jfii; ;quartpr7jiutSioisfstafedi:(thai£.atitiye i i j hosti 1 i 1 wftakc JifieYpjacclJof f ; ; sofj=MßS ;CHUECHiL^liol^hc'fc ; ; b);id^MayoVs*ban- s i^ucu^MßSiAsQiJinf-yrefcrredljtqgx'tho l ' ■WiisfcTof ,Nvealth,tp£human-. i matcyial: ?in' actual :radented; additioriSbpth;.pn:;lan(:l: an'dj fsea,stoj:thoAapj)ara^us:);bf;.;pvganiEe ; d; ■ ! ;that'7if;:thisjtgoes/^njfib!^ill : si"more; and nitive '■■ iin pose. a)]sey e riii;.. an d ;e ve n dangeroustfstrainiupphtjtKjStaxable', capacitySand'crcditypfltheiinations,; springs' of : indußtry?aud eral progress of material-well-being."-.Spealing ','onf the/same, ; ' CHiincHiLL , 'Held --.but; no ■ of *lcs j : ; sening the strain■fo'.-which<.Mri;.';.As:-QuiTir refeiTcd'v/Oji'.the'contrary.vhe , ' <statcd ; , duty, ."'if;-he-' shoukr: : .cbntinue?ito' ;:; lje' responsible ■for; the'"-Admiralty > Do:'.' partment, : '.'to r*ik forpEstimates sub-' stantially greater,- thanithe.enormous sum originrilly-lypteclifpl , ,; the present year. occasion .he has' cndeavpiired'; to bring, .'about an •■'agree!nent : gwitli;KGermany:;;/-by which ,the v cspenditureloh -armaflipnts would bereducsd, but}ie has received very littlcicncoura-gement.^ , German ■critics',ridiculed .his.,i.propos.n.l for-.a naval.holirlay,'.and;C : oi;NVfiEyEXTLpw now. ;, declares : :that;StMß;i : 'vLu>YDincreases German 'mistrust.>VGermany, presses forward itiisweryinglyswith;hcr.-.ship-.-building.:'programinc, s a"nd*'it'. is pci'a.tivc ,that British statesmen shall see that,:.whatever ..othernations may do,' Britain'si'suprernacyon; theXseas shall remain.' unassailable.^^'S^S-'',

:■.- 'ill the 'requisite' superiority; of Britain's Nnvy.' 'ftnd maintained thcre.;eertainly,canbe no relaxation in.her c/forts• a6,tho■ prcsent juncture,- nor.;is' ! there ;ariy'.likelihood of the burdeivlieing'diininis.hcd in'thc immediategfuture. Churchill.', made this mutefclear' in his speech , at tha-Lord llaypr's. banquet, and he went on to say that the unbroken .development -:'o-f the 'German Navy, and the building by many Powers,'great and small'; all over the world,-of modern. ships 3 of war, , make it■"■ impossible ; for : ; down.- Daily Mail points out, that other' 1 nations are , making.-.por-tentiousL efforts in shipbuilding, , and while the British■ naval,expenditure has only.,risen'vby £6,000,000" in the last- ten ~y ears,^the,umtlay, : 0f , . , the others .powers'; has "advanced as follows :'— : W- s sßS!'t,./:W' ; :..',.'. ■.-"," • ,; . ■ - - -/'.".-^Wis^^i^^'^Vft.e , ' ■■■" "'"■ '. - ■>- Germany S vv:ffiS';£K;£" i.WOOIOOO * \ "/ ,: United- 9,000 000 '. • Franco '<*■::.:....'.&■;..■:.■:>.: -.-8,009 000 : : . Japanis , .;. v .:J::r.., n^;...;;v; ;7,Tsi),Coi):.;./ '■'In■'-face 'of jithesergrim-.-, figures," asks..the DaihjifM'aill .-'do-'our■ Radical ;it is safe'iforihis. country .t0 ,, , starve , its ■ fleet/"" iThe'-piSsent , ,attacks"onVMiv CHUKCHiLL's;<naval. policy.; tion of discontented Radicals' is.'ex : cccdingly, .ill;.timed" from the Imper : ial- point:bf ; ;view,' arid it:.is--reassur : .ing to know.that this attempt to embarrass,the.. First' Lord of the Admiralty Us , "strongly deprecated by such a : 'we!l : known Libcrnl.as Mr. Chiozza -MoKEVjiwho-pointsout that unless the . Estimates arc... increased contracts rmist.be cancelled and that would trench upon.the margin of suHcfalso "draws 1, attention to the -fact , *that':'the. German-naval , programme , is''''madc'permanent.by the Navy ■:'Law;.-.and--ia independent of the Estimates.'-':'lt is.difhcult to .to cut down" expenditure'on the' Navy will receive a great-deal of support"even among" the".Badicals, : .and such a suggestion'"'! would I certainly" not'.. ■■ meet .with ' the':approval of the*; country. If any ,, combination of Kadicals and vSocialiststis going to press forward a policy Jwhich would 'endanger ■ the . safety 'or'the.:.'Empire, , if would ..certainly be create, as. one newspaporiv.states,.- a. new.'- , .; National party,-.or to take other effective steps to countevact su.c-h> dangerous.move.mont.'.ir,.;,,.", '■■-"'.■■ -.':