THE NAVAL ESTIMATES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1953, 9 January 1914, Page 8

THE NAVAL ESTIMATES.

The publicist who writes under the name of "Exeubitor" (tjje Asfakener) I contributes an article to the "Fortnightly," ii} which he argues that Great Britain is now assured of a sub- ; stantial margin of naval superiority as agamst Germany in the North Sea.. "Britain," ho says, "has emerged from the dark day's of 1909, Even if no additions are made to British programmes in the nest four years Britian will have in the summer of 1920 fifty-five ships of Dreadnought typo to Germany's 35. | And, in addition, Britain can count 1 H.M.A.S. Australia, H. 31.5. Nor Zealand, H.M.S. Malaya; and 'the three Canadian vessels or their substitutes.' This will give ait advantage of 71 per cent, oyer the German ships of siini- j lar .class'. But whjle Germany is thus held safe in the North Sea, there are still the ocelli trade routes from North and South America, and from the Med: iter'raneau and the Cane of Good Hope to lie protected." This"protection, "Ex. cubitor" considers; will necessitate the raising of the forthcoming Naval Est.i» mates to £50,000,000. Six capital ships i should be laid down amially for tho | nest four years in order to provide for tho needs of the Navy in the Meditcr-1 raucan and the Pacific. Here is tho | author's significant'conclusion on this | point:—"The British Empire is Asiatic rather than European, and in spite of tho Japanese Alliance, and in spite of the friendship which unites us to the United States, wo cannot ignore ' this fundamental character of Empire in tho disposition of our naval forces,"