The Daily News WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14. DON'T TOUCH THE NAVY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8049, 14 February 1906, Page 2

The Daily News WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14. DON'T TOUCH THE NAVY.

Ax the valedictory banquet tendered ' to Sir Joseph AVard, who is proceeding to Rome as the representative of New Zealand to the great Postal Conference, the Pivuiiier was in an Imperialistic mood. There is no question on which the Premier is more emphatic than on that of " the solidarity of the Empire," and none on which he has a better right to speak. So much weight do the words of the Premier carry, that it is just likely his impassioned appeal to the nation, " Don't touch the naval estimates," and " Don't interfere with the first line of defence," may cause some apprehension in this sea-girt laud, which is alsolutely dependent on the seapower of the Motherland, * * * * It had been decided, even before the present British Government took office, to decrease the vast expenditure that has for years been going on in connection with naval matters, so that the onus is on the Government of the past for having shown a desire to curtail the expenditure that has not materially or proportionately strengthened us on the sea. The present Government, subscribing to the expressed desire of its predecessors, have decided to decrease the ainounl. , of money available for naval matters. Is it better to have one ship well manned than have two ships under- . manned and not able to give n, goc 1 account of themselves ? Is it better . to attract brawn and buins int) a comparatively small fleet by improving the conditions of service, or to keep on adding to the ironmongery, for which, under the present system, there are too few men by many thour sands *

We read that Germany is enormously increasing her navy, it looks very serious, but we find that Germany and every other Power is cursing Uiitain for forcing it to keep building because her nuvai programme is so overwhelming. A curtailment of the British naval estimates, in all human probability, means a curtailment of the niival progr iimne of a'| other nations. The overpowering superiority in tonnage of the British fleets over any two or 1 fleets of other nations is, of course, necessary for the protection of the worldwide Empire over which the Union Jack flies, but the constant and sensational increase in the equipment, and the decrease of officers and men, seem, to the layman, a particularly flabby policy, unless the policy is intended to impoverish the nations which have to keep up to the not- | much-loved John Bull

John* Bull would be much better loved if he did not set so hot a pace, and John Bull, travelling under a cooler pace, would have more time to see to the task of helping his own people to live than in helping other people to die. If the Japs are to be credited with knowing the position of affairs, their belief that the army of Britain is going to the dogs—because of the enormous preponderance of attention paid by the Home authorities to the navy—is worth considering. As an example of this policy of starving the junior service for the sake of the senior, it may be remembered that Britain's best artillery work in South Africa was done by

sea-going guns manned by sailors. The British Army had no guns that were class enough to out-range the field-guns of the Boers,

'J'hk loyalist who really lover his country and the Empire, if he view the matter with cold reason, mustsp? the futility of continuing to expend countless mi'lions on an unwieldy navy which cannot he manned; and the same loyalist must see the necessity of making the land forces a dependable fighting machine. Mr Soddon's promise that New Zealand would he willing to contribute more to the navy is noble, but really New Zealand's contributions won't aß'ect the matter in any way, seeing that New Zealand's present contributions would not pay the paint bill at the Chatham dockyard for sixmonths. Besides, if New Zealand really intendel to help the Empire out of a iinaucial hole by the contribution of a further sum towards the naval expenses, New Zealand would be in the lather interesting position of paying her sub. with the borrowed money of John Bull, or our Victorian cousins.

The workable navies of Britain ami Japan, in combination, are the most powerful aggregation of destructive machines in existence. Under the Anglo-Japanese treaty, the woll-

manage.l navy of our brown ally helps us. No single country in the world lias a navy of e.pial strength to Britain. Two or more countries, in combination, attacking Britain's supremacy, would have to reckon also with Japan. No nation under

heaven, even if it were able to bear the enormous expense, could reach the present strength of the British na\y alone within two decades. The utility of a ship of war is not to be gauged by tlio number of guns aboard or the quantity of ammunition in the ! magazines. A million-pound boat, badly handled, is no mure use in a scrimmage than a timber-scow.

Ik Mr Seddou will allow the British Government to decrease the naval estimates, and will not force a Lir»o naval programme on the Old Land by any gift, but will .strenuously at all times cry out for efficiency in the navy as it at this moment exists, he will do as much service to the Em- | pile as he would do in insisting on the immediate building of another dozen first-class warships. There is not the least doubt that the colonial squadrons are a trifle brown-pnperv, and that the officers on colonial stations might pass a difficult examination in social usages, and get " floored " in some small matters of "sailorising." Will Mr Soddon "go" '■ for this sort of thing, and let the ' Lords of the Admiralty see to the of the navy 2 |