BRITISH DEFENCES

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 4 March 1908, Page 27

BRITISH DEFENCES

ARMY AND NAVAL ESTIMATES. THE REDUCTION IN THE FORCES. LONDON, February 25. The Standard deplores the reduction of the regular forces by 5000 men. The reasons inducing Mr Haldane to form his territorial army furnish an unanswerable argument aigairust his now reducing the garrison artillery by 6ome thousands. To effect a saving in th© net Army Estimates of £301,000 with 185,000 meni Mr Haldaaie is withdrawing from the South Cavalry Regiment four -battalions of infantry. The net Naval Estimate- amounts to £32,319,500. Lord Tweedmouth's memorandum shows that the increase is due to dearer coal, food, and material. New construction accounts for £7,545,202, and provides for one improved Dreadnought, j one large armoured and six fast protected cruisers, 16 destroyers, and some I submarines. It is intended to proceed with the construction of the naval base, at Rosyth. The Government has every intention of maintaining the standard hitherto deemed necessary for safeguarding national and Imperial interests. The. Daily News says that the Government is purchasing Hastings Harbour, preliminary to forming a naval station. Lord Tweedmouth's navy memorandum) 6tates that the Admiralty possesses abundant war plans and elaborate strategical operations. He also declares that a sound knowledge of long-range j shooting is thoroughly permeating the fleet. The Times says that -although the Navy Estimates exhibit a normal increase of £900,000, they represent a real increase of under £14,000, the rest, bedng automatic and inevitable. The Times implies that the. Government had reduced ita original Estimates by half a million below the point the Admiralty considered advisable. All the newspapers realise that the n»va> programme is temporary, and anticipate a great increase- m 1909. • February 28. The War Office approves the Victorian Agricultural Department's samples of compressed fodder, and desires a quotation for 250 tons. The Admiralty approves the Mildura rafisins, and is asking for a quotation for a larger supply-