GERMANY'S CHALLENGE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 227, 18 September 1908, Page 4

GERMANY'S CHALLENGE.

Ammuj/8 skiuws wauxixg TO JSIUTAIN. "The naval and military situation seems to demand without delay a national army founded on tire omy beeitre j and stable basis, that o£ universal j m; vice. in order to set free our Navy ito periorui the very essential duty of safeguarding our food .supplies, livesixths of which come across the sea. This grave warning formed the gist of a speech which Admiral Fitzgerald made at Appleton Hall, Cheshire, at ihe annual meeting of the Warrington branch of the Xational Service Lvague, "We have been challenged, and there is no use shutting our eyes to the fat't," he continued. ''Germany must have such a navy that the strongest navv in the world will hesitate to try conclusions with it." These are the words of an autocratic ruler who can coipmand tihe service of four million trained soldiers, threu-qunrters of a million of whom are always and ready for instant war. "Germany is building ironclads of the most powerful type, with a very small coal capacity, intended to be used only in the North Sea. and the Gvrman people are supplying the money for tlie purpose.. These are facts that we cannot get over.''