GERMANY'S DREADNOUGHT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 309, 6 January 1908, Page 2

GERMANY'S DREADNOUGHT.

Berlin, January 3. Germany's first battleship of the Dreadnought type, the Tayern, will be launched at Wilhelmshaven at the end of February. According to the new programme Germany will possess at the beginning of 1914 a navy consisting of 13 battleships of 18,000 tons and upwards, 10 battleships of approximately 13,000 tons, 10 battleships varying from 11,000 to 11,800 tons, and four battleships of 10,000 tons each. At the beginning of 1920 Germany will possess 19 battleships of 18,000 tons I and upwards, 10 battleships of 13,000 tons, nine battleships of between 11,000 and 12,000 tons, in addition to six large cruisers of a probable displacement of 18,000 tons and upwards, two cruisers of 15,000 tons, two cruisers of 11,000 tons, and five of approximately 9000 tons each. The general impression among all parties is that the Government's shipbuilding programme is moderate, and will probably be acceptable to the whole of the Reichstag except the Social Democrats. The Neueste Naehrichten, however, which is the organ of the Navy League, declares it to be extremely disappointing, and demands a far more ambitious programme of construction. It

complains that the lifetime of cruisers has remained on the old basis of calculation, and that the provision of substitutes for the 17 battleships which arc ! now completely olwolcte will be effected far too slowly. The Tntfliche Riindwhau condemns the new bill as insufficient, and attacks the Government for their lack of zeal in developing the navy. The Deutsche Zeitnnu adopts the same line. The 1-ibei'iil and Clerical organs publish comments which indicate that the parties they represent will support the bill in the Reichstag.

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