THE BRITISH NAVY.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9415, 8 April 1909, Page 5

THE BRITISH NAVY.

—By Blw- ' Copyright.? ' London, April 7. Mr Maonamara, speaking at the KDifcy iLiberal Oinb, deolared,tbafc two satisfactory features had emerged ifrom -.the naval debate —first, the de-i termination met with amongst all; •classes tounaintain the Navy unolaalunchallengeable; second, •the Colonies' spontaneous recognition, ■of theirmtal'interest in the state ofi ■ithe Navy.. He added that the Govern-1 ment’s;pßogramme was sufficient to j secure" national safety. He ithat.by April, 1912, Germany would; gefahead of Britain. He admitted | that our superiority in Dreadnoughts ’ might at times be narrow, hut he ; .emphaaisedi-Hritain’a preponderance ; dn pre-Dreadnonght ships.

NOT BE A PARTY i,QUESTION. The Chronicle, referring to the proposals of the Opposition for a naval campaign, says it is most .undesirable ; that the Navy should •continue to»be dragged along party rots;: in fact, there has been too •much of tactics of this nature by both sides. The Government, for itactiodl reasons, combined a cry of ■danger with a hypothetical ]-way of meeting' it. The Opposition, for tactical .reasons, magnified the dan-

get and reducedrthe hypothetical tgnartatte of (Dreadnoughts to phantom ships. Nooody believes that only four Dreadnoughts will be the sum of the Government's programme for 1909, yet when the Government proceeds to do tfhat it already means to

do perhaps iit r will-he represented as i having been bullied into it. This js absurd, and r to be prevented betimes.

AUSTRIAN DREADNOUGHTS. A REPLY TO NEW.ZEALAND'S COPPER. The Standard -reports that the decision of Austria to build three Dreadnoughts has given great satisfaction in Berlin. Germans declare that what the British overseas, dor minions are doing for the British Empire, Austria-Hungary is doing for Germany. AUSTRALIAN OPINION. THE GOVERNOR IN A DIFFICULT POSITION. , Sydney, April 7. At the Show jMr Wade and one or two other speakers preferred to the Dreadnought and the relations between the States and the Commonwealth. Earl Dudley (Governor-General) subsequently proposing the health of the president, said he wished to point out that a great thing on occasions like these was to avoid, if possible, placing anyone in a difficult position. The Commonwealth Ministers were his advisers, and as he expected hia advisers to be loyal to him, so he hoped always to be loyal to them. It mattered not to him who was in power—whether Liberal, Labour, or any —he would be loyal to them, and expected them to ,be loyal to him. He hoped that on occasions of this sort political allusion to either ®the Federal or State Governments would be avoided. He wanted to make it ,clear that he could only sit at gatherings whore this rule was observed. Admiral Poore, referring to the Dreadnought, said ho had heard the movement described as hysterical. There could be nothing hysterical in ■the sympathy of her children towards the Mother Country. He added that whatever might be said he wished them to remember that the bottom had not yet dropped out of the British Navy.

Mr Cook, Leader of the Federal Opposition, said the Dreadnought would go as soon as the Federal Parliament could speak, and would he gent by the earnest desire of the whole people of the Commonwealth. SUGGESTED NAVAL. CONFERENCE. In the House of Commons Mr Asquith, in reply to questions, intimated that any special conference as to the naval defence of the Empire was dependent upon an agreement in that direction between the Imperial and Colonial Governments. The latter had not expressed a desire for such a conference. CANADIAN NAVAL FORCE. A Bill creating a Canadian naval Militia or force of volunteers whence a future navy may be recruited will shortly be submitted with the Admiralty’s concurrence. It is hoped the BiU\will£beoome law in 1909. THE AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIPTION. Received April 8, 8.10 a m, London, April 7, Australians in London suggest that if a public subscription for a Dreadnought was started in’Australia facilities should be afforded AngloAustralians to join.