The Daily News TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24. SUPREMACY AT SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 283, 24 November 1908, Page 2

The Daily News TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24. SUPREMACY AT SEA.

Tlie substantial increase W the German c naval estimates lor I'JOU, particulars o) winch appeared in our joreigu caolos yesterday, makes it abundantly clear that Britain's resources will be severely taxed it sue adheres to the two-Power standard, and adhere to it she must it she is to maintain her present positio.i among the Powers of the world. Gerinany s naval expenditure lias grown amazingly during recent years. !>hc has outstripped every other nation but Britain. And now she is within ten or 'eleven millions of Britain. What is Germany's object in thus challenging our supremacy at sea V A French authority, M. haubeuf, 'late Chief Engineer of the French Navy, and a ineniher ol the French Corps of Naval Constructors, lias no doubt whatever as to Germany's intention. According to him, a struggle between Germany and Britain is inevitable. And Germany is preparing lor the struggle just as she prepared for the struggle with France in the ] seventies, lie puts the position thus: "Considering that the Gorman armored' siiips are satislied with a radius for ac Hon very much more limited than that of the Englisn and French armored ships (3501) miles instead of SINK) miles), J come to tlie conclusion that the German navy looks forward to a contest restricted to the European seas, that is to say, a contest with England As

for nie, the key of the future German tactics is settled by the credits to be used for submarines: Five million marks iu 1907, seven millions in I'JOS, ten millions iu 10041, fifteen millions every y'jar and after the year Win. Germany is building, moreover, not only simple submarines, boats whose part is reduced to the near defence of its ports n in shores, in consequence of their slwt nautical capacities, b'.si also submersible boats, which ean take the oll'cnsive in the seas of small extent, such as t'jie North Sea or the Baltic. The only German submarine on duty, the T,' is jof 240 tons. The next ones will no I doubt be of Siiil to 401) tons; with the credits provided, the German navy may have sixty ready for action in 11)15. Their tusk will certainly be that of leaving the German ports, immediately after the declaration of war, ana of proceeding to the attack of the enemy's armored ships on the Englijii coast. A. lew successful torpedo strokes will produce an equilibrium, and the German armored ships may then come forward to dispute with the English squadron the mastery of the sea, and try to open the road for a landling in England. These arc the tactics which 1 recomineadcd to France on the morrow of the Faslioda incident. ... II am therefore led to believe that Germany is preparing, with tile method which characterises it, a landing in England. It will employ for this purpose the submersible boat which I created iu 181)7, with a very clear idea of utilising it by France, with a similar object in view." • jU. Laubeuf believes that Great Britain will not wait for Germany, but W'!l herself strike when Germany' least >xpects the blow: "Within a few years only the bad administration of our ileet and the numerous disasters France his met with in times of 'peace have reduced, with extraordinary rapidity, our unfortunate navy to a" condition of extreme weakness. England took us as her headway, a s it had done with the Dutch at the 'end of the seventeenth century. It turns to-day on the German navy, who, after ilie successive ruin of the Spanish, the Dutch and \ '» French navies, becomes the factor round which a coalition may accumulate against it. Once the German navy is crushed and weakened for a long time, it will be the turn of the conqueror of the conflict in tile I'acilie. The United States, or else Japan, having hardly - had time to lake breath after a desperate light, will have England rising against llicin. English supremacy ov-jr all the seas would thus be secured fin fifty years. Will these fortunate tactics, which have lasted for so many centuries, continue to last for ever?" H would seem, indeed, that Jl. Laubeuf, despite himself, believes iu our destiny more than we believe in it.