THE NAVAL CRISIS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 453, 23 March 1909, Page 3

THE NAVAL CRISIS.

OFFER OF HELP FROM NEW ZEALAND. INTERVIEW WITH THE PREMIER. (By Telegkaah—Special to Herald) Wellington, Yesterday. In an interview with your representative to-day the Pi hue Minister stated that the unanimity of both sides which the recent debate in, the British House of Commons has disclosed with regard to the gravity of the situation between the Motherland and Germany, in so far as our naval ascendancy is cannot be misinterpreted. No room is left for doub? that England feels her supremacy on the seas is now seriously threatened by the amazing naval activity of the German dockyards. It appears clear that all thoughtful men of Great Britain recognise that the Empire must set itself with the utmost determination, and, if necessary, sacrifice, to maintain the naval supremacy upon which not only our honour, but our national greatness depends. The burden lying upon the British nation for naval expenditure is at present enormous, and every loyal subject of the Crown must feel that in a time of crisis like this he is called upon to help the Motherland with more than words. New Zealand is proud of past proofs of her loyally to the Mother Country, and stands today in the estimation of British people as among the first in the British Dominions for a ready and loyal response where the necessities of the Empire called for it. The Prime Minister said that in these circumstances the Government of New Zealand felt its obligations to assist the Motherland, and a Cabinet meeting this morning had unanimously agreed to the Prime Minister’s proposal that this country should offer to defray the cost of the immediate building and arming of one firstclass battleship of the latest type, and if subsequent events show it to be necessary, would provide the cost of a second warship of the same type. Sir Joseph Ward said that he had sent this offer through his Excellency the Governor to the Secretary of State for the Colonies this afternoon. He went on to say that this is a time when any waiting or halting on the part of the New Zealand Government would enormously lessen the value of any assistance we might eventually give, and he felt confident a matter touching our national existence would be treated as above party consideration, and would appeal to every section of the community as a right and proper thing to do. Apart from the moral effect of this offer, it had to be remembered that ever upon the grounds of self-interest it is amply justified, since in this country the value of our national and our private wealth is now nearly six hundred millions sterling, and this largely depends upon the British navy for its security and defence. The Prime Minister added that this determination had not been hurriedly arrived at. • He had been reviewing the whole matter for some days past, and after anxious and careful consideration had brought it before some of his colleagues on Saturday morning last. All the Ministers were present at the meeting of Cabinet to-day when the matter was dealt with, and as already stated, the proposal had been cordially and unanimously assented to.

THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR whittling DOWN. A NAVY CAMPAIGN. London, March* 21. Mr J. L. Garvin, editor of the Observer, states that Mr LloydGeorge (Chancellor of the Exchequer) and Mr Winston Churchill (President of the Board of Trade), are responsible for the whittling down of Admiral Fisher’s proposals, and urges that four Dreadnoughts be laid down in June and four in November, and that the Brazilian warships at present under construction be bought to avoid the risk of their passing to Germany. “ If Premier Asquith refuses to adopt this course,” he adds, ‘‘the peers must reject the budget and force a dissolution.” The Navy League Defence Committee, the London Chamber of Commerce, and the Imperial Maritime League are arranging for a navy campaign throughout the country. The Manchester Guardian states that Germany has pushed her ship-building programme purely to help the unemployed. All the newspapers are giving prominence to the suggested Australian Dreadnought, expressing pleasure at the patriotic thought. Mr Keir Hardie (Labour M.P.), speaking at Sheffield, declared that “ Our duty was not to support the Government, but to stretch our hands across the North Sea to our German colleagues and make war upon the common enemy—the capitalist system.” Mslbourne, March 22, The Hon. A. Deakin, exPremier of the Commonwealth, pointed out that if Britain accepted a position of content with her navy as being as strong as any ot her possible foes, the whole theory whereon Australian defence was founded would disappear. The present defence force was maintained upon the assumption that Britain’s navy is powerful enough to master any two combined Powers.

Sir William Lyne warmly sup*

ported the presentation of a Dreadnought, and said he was convinced that the people would give a ready response if asked-