FINANCE AND THE NAVY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 296, 9 December 1908, Page 4

FINANCE AND THE NAVY.

11l (ho Quarterly Hcview aiijioiirs auiniliurliint artieJi; entitled " Our Endangeroil Sea Supremacy.'' "As a naval Power, England." it' is urged, "stands at the cross-roads in her history. She is faee to fate with a crisis which threatens her naval supremacy. Whether it lie or In: not, admitted that the Dreadnought marked a fresh era in naval armament-;, the outlook is one of extreme gravity. .Since this ship made her appearance, embodying new principles of oll'eucc ami defence, the llritish (lovcrument have Imilt, or ordered, twelve of the largest battle units ; (icrniitny has begun ten ships of more or less corresponding character ; France and the United States have authorised six each, and other nations have not been inactive.'' This statement of fact is in itself sullieientl.v grave to cause deep-seated anxiety ; but a more serious feature of the outlook, it is held, is the attitude which the Pritish (lovcrniucui has assumed towards armaments generally, and the manner in which .Mr Asquith and his colleagues, in endeavouring In placate the Socialistic section of their support or-, have forced the failed King ilom into n position of extreme linaiicia] ililliculty. " Finance is in truth the key to the 'naval situation.'' Attention fs called to the fact that for three years apparent Mil-pluses have been secured by poslponjng necessary expenditure on the navy. "Iln new construction alone ceonomies. either misleading or temporary, have been made, amounting in the past three years to upwards of ei),(l()(l.ll(ll) sterling, in comparison with the expenditure in i!>(>t. There have been other economies iii the naval voles of this peviod which are due to improved administration, but the sums which have been diverted from the construction of new ships have not been legitimate permanent economies. From year to year (lie (ioveniinenl has chosen for ils own .ends, to ignore the naval crisis which has been approaching. No provision has been made for the adequate maintenance of tlie licet in future years, but the Chancellor of the Exchequer tinea tens that, when lie conic- to prepare h ; - new liiidgel.be will have to make a raid upon -oilier people's hen-roosts' : in other words capital and income are to be further plundered, and the victim* are to be told thai Hie on; rations are necessary in the intcrcM of the licet. The gen'ei-nl idea which apparently underlie- the CoternmcntV plan is to relieve I he wurking class,.- of all part and loi in the defence of the country by returning to t In-ill ill tiM-iiui- pension* and oiler dob- the Mini collected from them in indirect taxation. In place of the old Uadieal complaint of -taxation wilhout I represent a I ion.' we shall have the extremely dangerous and immoral condition of ' representation without taxation.' except Mich a- the working classes pay voluntary over the bur.- of public house* and clubs. In thee conditions a I'.rifish democracy, practically freed from liuaiicial responsibility for its acts, must prove a positive peril to the peace of flic world. In the hour of passion, such a* now and again sweeps through n nation, it would possess the power to foment war without the restraining iullucncc which cither personal service or taxation for war exerts."