Fighting Charlie on Defence.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4437, 17 July 1909, Page 3

Fighting Charlie on Defence.

London, July 15. Lord Charles Beresford was the guest of the London Chamber of Commerce at a dinner last night. Replying to the toast of his health, the retired Admiral declared that he adhered to everything contained in his previous speech, and emphasised the necessity for beginning four contingent Dreadnoughts in 1909; otherwise in the event of emergency, Britain would be unable to begin her new programme of 1913, because the yards and slips then would be filled with the uncompleted ships of an early pro i gramme. It was expedient lie declared, to augment the shiplvnluing plant to be in readiness for any demand, and reiterated that safety depended not on one ■ j'pe of ship, but on a homogeneous fleet complete in all its units. Mr Rason, the- Westralia Agent-General, responded to the toast of “ The Oversea Dominions.”