RIVAL NAVIES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 35, 11 February 1913, Page 7

RIVAL NAVIES

BRITAIN'S AND GERMANY'S GERMAN OPINION SIXTEEN TO TEN RATIO. By Telegraph.— ffess Association.— Copyright. (Received February 11, 9 a.m.) BERLIN, loth February. The newspapers are making a strong effort to induce the Germah Admiralty to regard the Dominion's Dreadnoughts ari within the sixteen to ten ratio. Count ! yon lleventlow, the well-known -writer on naval matters, and Admiral Breusing, a feitired officer, maintain that three ad' ditiottal ships are required above the fixed programme to constitute Germany's relative ten. "PLATONIC DECLARATION." . DOMINION DREADNOUGHTS MUST BE COUNTED. BERLIN, 10th February. The Cologne Gazette declares that the naval tgreement is merely a Platonic declaration, not binding, yet removing the naval rivalry from the category of delicate questions, and allowing the Government to proceed to a friendly discussion of other niatteis. ' The Berlin Post declares that the Dominion Dreadnoughts must be counted if Germany is to accept a proportion of ten to fifteen. TRIPLE ALLIANCE PROGRAMME. BRITAIN'S WILL"BE BASED ON THAT. LONDON, 10th February. The Daily Mail says that if Germany' wishes to diminish naval competition it means simply that the British programme wll| be based on the programme of the Triple Alliance. If they are reduced the British programme will automatically fall. BRITAIN RESOLVED^ NOT TO BE „ SURPASSED. PARIS, 10th February. The Figaro says the British colonies' magnificent patriotism in offering battleshipa has abundantly proved that Great Britain is resolved not to allow herself to be surpassed. ■ BRITAIN'S UNIQUE POSITION. Mr. L. G. Chiozza Money, M.P., re* cently stated :— The position of the United Kingdom in this connection is unique. We are an island nation, and we support 45,000,000 people in a small aTea, which otherwise could not sustain more than about 15,000,000, by securing from oversea enormous, sup- , lies not only of food but of raw materials cotton, wool, timber ; ores, rubber^ hides, oil, etc. — with Which our woTk is done. Without supplies brought by ship, th© United Kingdom could be brought to beggary in a few months. Not only so, but,the United Kingdom, occupying thip unique position, is the head and front of an Empire scattered all over the world; whoae" sole connecting link is the sea. The command of the sea .ie therefore the very life of Britain and of her Empire, and by virtUe of her peculiar position she is entitled to claim the right to sea power 1 without suspicion of aggressive motive. This was well put by Sir Henry Camp" bell-Bannerman in. 1907, when he wrote, While appealing to the Powers for a reduction of armaments :— "The sea power of this country implies no challenge to any single State or group of States. ... If our fleets be invulnerable they carry with them no menace across the waters of the world." In recent years the eea supremacy of Britain has been challenged by Germany. It is not generally realised that Germany has enacted a Navy Law which provides for the building and maintenance of the greatest fleet ever known in the history of the world — greater than the * United Kingdom herself eyer dreamed of possessing a few years ago. If that were realised^ there could, of course, be no opposition to the Naval Estimates, which simply provided against this tremendous new factor in the naval situation. VARIOUS CABLES By Telegraph.— Press Association.— Copyright. (Received February 11, 8.35 v a.m.) J REBELLION QUELLED. LISBON, 10th February. The Native rebellion at Mozambique' has been quelled. Two hundred natives were killed and five hundred wounded. The Portuguese loss totalled twentyfive. . (Received February 11, 10.5 a.m.) H.M.S. TORCH. LONDON, 10th March. Mr. Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, questioned in the House of Commons, declarjed that he would not debate the case of H.M.S. Torch until the Naval Estimates were brought down in March next. SIRi GEORGE REID. LONDON, 10th February. Sir George Reid, High Commissioner for Australia, who has been suffering from influenza, is progressing, DREDGE SINKS. MELBOURNE; Thin Day. While the dredge Dandenottg' was be1 ing towed by a tug through the Rip, Water entered and beat the pumps. The crow was transferred to the tug." and the dredge shortly afterwards capsized and sank. The Dandenong was recently purchased by tho Naval authorities. (Received February 11, 9 a.m.) COMMONWEALTH CRUISER. PORT SAID, 10th February. The Commonwealth cruiser Melbourne has sailed for Australia. (Received February 11, 8.35 a.m.) HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS. SYDNEY, This Day. Light to heavy rain and thunderstorms' are general _ throughout New South Wales j also in the Northern Territory and Eastern Queensland. (Received February 11, 8.35 a.m.) DAIRY SHOW. LONDON, 10th February. The Dairy Farmers' Association offers a British Empire trophy for exhibits' of smoked and pale dried bacon at the dairy show in October next. CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY. LONDON, 10th February. A memorial is being prepared urging the Senate of Cambridge University to abolish compulsory Greek and revise and simplify tbe entrance examination. NEW ZEALANDER KILLED. SYDNEY, 10th February. John Rankin, who was 'employed on the North Shore- railway, was struck by an engine, and succumbed. The police report that hi,« parents reside in New Zealand. Warner's Rtusl-proof Corsets ar« com-