The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 1908. THE GERMAN AND BRITISH NAVIES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2138, 13 March 1908, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 1908. THE GERMAN AND BRITISH NAVIES.

Just now, when the peoples of both Britain and Germany have been forcibly directed to their naval position by reason of the Kaiser’s impetuous and, injudicious‘ letter 'to Lord Tweedmputh, it is instructive to learn how some of tlio loading authorities in, England view tlio present shipbuilding programmes of tlio two Powers. Dealing with this important question a few weeks ago, “Tlio Nation” summarised tlio situation thus:—

A\ o strongly deprecato the revised German shipbuilding plan. It is of bad omen for tlio peaco of tlio world. But the main effect of the new start in German fleet-building has long boon understood and discounted. Tlio German naval strategists made a series of errors. They built small ships, which wore completely dominated by our larger and better-armed vessels. But they were not stirred to serious emulation by their incontestable inferiority to our own reconstructed and reorganised navy. Their anxiety was primarily due to the fresh dopa rturo in the French navy. That was provoked.by our sudden advance from a type of. battleship far more powerful than any existing class in foreign navies, to a kind of fighting machine of unheard-of power, the now famous Dreadnought- and Invincible. For the momentous consequences of thal* new thought in warfare we are responsible. France, our ally, when she knew of it, developed a corresponding policy. Germany, our supposed rival, finding that her fighting line was being outclassed by the Power with whom slip has a traditional quarrel, followed suit. Franco again retaliated, and the key to this struggle is" to bo found in the remarkable parity of strength between the new French and German navies. Germany’s fast retorting programme has been enlarged, to the extent of an addition to her fleet, in a sequence of ten years of shipbuilding, of throe warships comparable in fighting .strength to the Dreadnought. But wo have -gained tlio • advantage of our early epochmaking 'essay in those monster ; vessels. Before Germany can begin >o overtake, not us so much as the French start in Dreadnoughts, we shall have a fleet of such vessels, actually riding the waters of the Channel.

Air. Stead talks'of the necessity of -building two British Dreadnoughts for a single German Dreadnought. As tilings will stand even ' two years lienee, the sum will work at seven to nought. But this is not the full measure of our security. AA r e build faster than any of our rivals —judging by our recent feats in construction, more than twice as fast. Even if the early rato of Dreadnought building be not maintained, we can still outbuild Germany, wbo is invariably late in the execution of her programmes. Our shipbuilding and engineering resources, as Sir AVilliani AATiite showed in a series of convincing articles in the “Times,” are incomparably greater.. This, again, gives us t-lie signal advantage of watching the more slow and toilsome progress of our rivals, and appropriating the full fruits of the latest scientific discoveries in tlio art of destroying ships or of saving our own ’ shins from being destroyed. In the three unmatched and incomparable fleets, which now move in constant watch and ward over the home waters, we have probably gone to the limits of our power of supplying moil for tlio vast mass of material energy that- w.e have accumulated. No such Armadas oyer rode the seas or were maintained by the busy people of these islands. And now tho demand is for more. ' The German programme is still a paper programme. . It lias not been passed by the. Romlistag. Grave financial and political culncuSj ties intervene. No party in the German Parliament is agreed as to the method of meeting Hie naval Budget,' and of extricating the national fin-, anc'es from tho embarrassment of a double deficit. Baron von StengelsfinanciaTjst'fiteinblit was, says the cor-, respondent ot Dniiy lelegiapli, a recital ;of errors miscalculations'.

All this makes exceedingly pleasant reading for British ears, and, unless the facts can ho impeached, should prove an effective answer to those pessimists who havo been declaring that Britain has not maintained the two-power standard that is recognised as indispensable for the complete protection of lior great commercial interests.

Tho City Bund will render a programme of music from the Recreation Ground Rotunda this evening. At tlio Police Court yesterday morning, before Mr. AV. A. Barton, S.M., Michael Purcell was lined LI, with costs 2s, for a second offence of drunkenness, and a first offender was dealt with in the usual manner.

Tho Government training-ship Amokura, which has been cruising in tho Haurnki Gulf lately, has returned to Auckland lnrbor on account of an outbreak of measles on board. Tlio patients have been landed at Motiiihi Island, the quarantine station.

Recently a man casually engaged one of the few women cubdrivers to drive him. across Paris. From tlio exchange of commonplace remarks ho fell in love with the driver, who is ■young and good-looking, and two weeks later sho left her box permanently to marry him.

' Our corresnoiident from Tologa Bay states that there arc a largo number of peoplo up there lor the races, and that accommodation is taxed to tho utmost. Tho weather is gloriously lino, and as all tho arrangements aro well in hand, everything points to a successful meeting. A team of local cricketers ileft for Tologa Bay on AVednesday evening to play a match against a Coast cloven. Bomb of tho visitors spent tho night at Pakarae, and completed the journey early on Thursday morning, but a lew of tho more adventurous members of tho team pushed on direct to their destination, "which they reached about midnight.

The annual, social in connection with the cricket match between Common, Shelton, and Co. and AVaingake was held in AVhinray’s Hall last, night, a good number of couples being present. Messrs. J. R. Miller, U. Coop, and D. Parker acted as Ms.C. Songs were contributed by the following: —Messrs. . Reynolds, Hamlin, Teat, Grinliutdn, and J. Parker.

Two judgment summonses were dealt with by Mr. AV. A. Barton at the S.M. Court yesterday. In the case of T. Adair (Air. Hei) v. Chas. AVestrup, an order .was made tor the immediate payment of £6 ss, in default seven days’ imprisonment ; and in the case of the N.Z. L. and M. A. Co. v. I’hos. Goldsmith, an order was unde for the payment of £ls 10s lOd forthwith, in default Hi days’ imprisonment.

According to a Press .Association telegram tlio bakers of Palmerston North are extremely satisfied so far with the result of cash trading, which has been in operation during the last two weeks, and they are of opinion that it is only a matter of time before the system is adopted throughout tlio Dominion. One prominent baker states that tlio new system has made a difference of £4O cash taking in his favor during the past week.

A rather unusual point cropped up in the S.AI. Court yesterday, when an application was made for the taking of evidence in the case of C. AV. E. Cribb v. T. AA r . Porter. Air. G. Stock appeared for the defendant, and asked for a remand, stating that his client was detained in AVellingtou through urgent public business. The S.AI. said it was not a sufficient excuse. The plaintiff had to be considered, and the application would be struck out.

New Zealand is to provide some of the horses for tho Indian army under the now scheme arranged by Colonel Goad', wlio visited Australia and New Zealand last year. Tlio scheme is to issue “commissions” to six firms in Australia and one in New Zealand to supply the remounts. Hitherto twenty-one firms have been providing thorn. New South AVales breeders are complaining that the effect will be to create seven combines and prevent comuetition. They have appealed to the Federal Prime Minister to receive a deputation in protest. The contract prico for remounts is-at- present £45 each.