REGARDLESS OF COST.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 15 June 1907, Page 4

REGARDLESS OF COST.

London, April 18, •'Tin 1 policy of the Admiralty is to [keep the command of the seas regardless of cost." In this striking declaration Lord Tweedmouth, the Liberal First Lord of the Admiralty, threw over the Liberal Priinw .Minister to-day. All the iVurs raised by Sir Henry

j Campbell-KanHerman's recent slurs oil the two-Power standard were dispelled by the linn declaration drawn from Lord Tweedmculh by Lord Lvassev. Peer* assembled with the Premier's amiable hopes of the Hague i 'onferonce in their minds, and (li« i undercurrent of Lord Prassey's opening speech was the

question of our strength in relation 1:.) that of the other (iro.it Powers. So there was something like a sigh of relief when Lord TweedmouLh, answering lor the Government, referred to the Hague Con-

ference and said: j "We shall go into the Conference | pledged to this: that if foreign Powers extend their naval programme, we in turn will also extend our programme, in order to keep our position among the naval Powers. My Lords, 1 believe that to be a thoroughly sound method, 1 believe that action is one which will commend itself to the people of this country.''

The Prince of Wales sat on the front cross-bench, listening intently. LOUD iiKASSKY'S CRITICISM. In no e.-rping spirit but in temperate tones and with a sympathetic attitude, the Liberal peer, Lord Brassev. had opened the subject. He dwelt on tinsuperior strength of the Dreadnought, and the fact that in building that ship we had "stolen a march on other Powers," but he gravely reminded the (lovernment that "nearly every maritime Power is now laying down ships of fhe Dreadnought type." He urged the Government to adopt the suggestion of Sir William White, and lay down a type in which the armament of two Dreadnoughts might he distributed bet ween three vessels equal in armament and defence.

•Tn replying for the (Jovornmont. Lord Tweedmonth spoke in low lows, slowly, and with extreme care.

"The Admiralty policy is founded on three premises," said Lord Tweeilmouth. (1) That we must keep command of the seas, without any regard to cost. (2) All parties are agreed that at the present moment we are in nnquestioHlable command of the sea. ( ; i take no credit for that,"' said the Liberal Minister in an outburst of honesty.)

(tt) That the burden of naval expenditure is a very heavy one, and oue in respect of which there has been too heavy a competition among naval Pow-

"In the course of the next two years" said Lord Tweedniont.il, "we shall have nine great, ships, and we shall have four vessels of the Dreadnought type and several cruisers of the Invincible fvpe. "Suiiicieut for the day is the programme thereof." he said, with a glance of satisfaction.

COVKRXMKNT PINNED I)O\VN. He announced that the (jovenunuut are willing to consent to any proposal for i conference of Powers lor a reduction ol armaments. Then in sharp contrast come the breezy l.ord Cawdor the I'nionist e.\-First Lord, He emphasised the difference between the welcome statement of Lord Tweedmouth and the recent utterances of Sir I lenry Campbell-Rannerman. "In one statement, in discussing the two-Power standard, the Prime Minister staled that, although he accepted th" two-Power standard as a rough-and-ready basis of our strength, yet he (Sir Henry) considered that the idea that the two-Power standard was incumbent 011 us if it referred to France and Germany was a preposterous suggestion.

"These words/' said Lord Cawdor gravely, "were extremely alanming to the people of tliis country." » "I bold," said Lord Cawdor, stretching out lus hand towards Lord Tweedmouth, "that lie this day has pledged the Tiovernment to maintain the two-Power standard."

The (lovernmenl. made no contradiction and the House passed to other business.