THE BRITISH NAVY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 13, 9 February 1909, Page 2

THE BRITISH NAVY.

i,. Hi,. Dm'tnlii'i' Nindi-rall. U'litiu} William VVliil.-. wliu «'in for »»>"(■ Dim'ti"' " f - Nl,Vill L,m6lnl ' :l ' u " om( . iiiti'ivstnijr »t;UcmniU .1V 1 mixtions of tin* lloi»l> s.iS'.S'li'ss:':;:;!:':; » . livi tt-urk. 11l 1!m0 llle tin "' J"'' 1 "., .in 1-2 twltlc-kilis

sis H„; I'uiloil States. M none ol I Vri' il'll lwltU-llilW ut UlL ' fi " l '' ! ' lSS • . A... f,,ll,nvi„<r veil I'. Sir Willmiu WW H,11 '3; m ,7 , hl . Kov;l i ,oinbiual. even if the* profcWMUS «[ ; OIW trueUoii are coiuplcUly milieui Ji >|

r"»Mav* wm- iro»' mm-iOTv,>jtabl< , insi's"' Sir William Win' l ' ll "t tin- DR'adno.igl.t cannot , v Ik- rupinH-d as l.avn W "mil to il,,' ..xisti'iK'i! of till- iivi-viuus kinds ot „ S » aud sent tk'iu all to tl.« lieilp." Uierefo'H- 1u,1.U lUa . Uum^h

concentration of aa urnnowerhis' to™ 1,0 "" JI T , . ,I,', the firm object in <; aVill stra . Miwitv fur dispersion must htiU 11 in aud, ludL ' cd ' lul " ""1 I l'owcr, :i necessary su|i|i >■- * v ut v «i itli'iitimi cttliri'ly on Dreiulr"7,Ms Sir William White |.reiers all tattta*" «* """J . ,\ u ,iv< ii>«« tlmu tvuniy °W' ( ■ilviii£? tliis" test, lie shows that Britain 1 on pfiicient armored- ship 3 t tonnage oS 1,222 ; 200, while the relative

strength of her chief rivals is as follows: —United States, 41 ships, 327,Uti1) tuns; France, 40 ships, 41j,-UU tons; liennany, 32 ships, -iiil ,-0U toas. If "obsolesccdit -5 ships arc uxchuii'd fvoni the computation, Britain's margin over Germany is greatly increased, and she is still well ahead ol the largest twoPower combination—that of France and the United States, Sir William White accordingly hnds "not a shadow of justification" in the panic-stricken 01 sonic recent utterances. On the contrary, he considers that a grave mistake was made by the British Admiralty in forcing the pace of naval construction in 1003, and in setting the example of secrecy at the same time, lie agrees with Mr. Ascjuith that wc must maintain a strong lead, but that at the same time "we want t« do everything in our power to prevent a new spurt in shipbuilding. '