The Daily News TUESDAY, MARCH 16. GERMANY'S CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 43, 16 March 1909, Page 2

The Daily News TUESDAY, MARCH 16. GERMANY'S CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

Britain's Navy Estimates lor 1909-10 have been awaited with considerable ini tercst the world over, in view ot (Germany's increasing programme, and the reply of the Admiralty to Germany's challenge is that the time is not yet when Britain shall confess inability to maintain the two-Power standard. In his statement explanatory of the Navy Estimates for 1908-9 ,tne First Lord, alter announcing the new shipbuilding programme, said: "This programme sui* lices ior 190S-9; whether and to what extent it may be necessary to enlarge it next year, or in future years, must depend upon the additions made to iheii naval forces by foreign Powers. The 5 Government has every intention ol maintaining the standard of the Brilisl I Navy which luis hitherto been deemei * necessary for the safeguarding of out national and imperial interests." Ac cording to the German Navy Estimates announced in November, seven million: were set aside for new constructions, t< which (England's reply is J-8,883,194 Germany, made provision for laid Dreadnoughts; Britain proposes to la] down four. Obviously, in this latest am most formidable type of lighting ma 1 chine the two-Power standard would no be maintained if tlie relative rate o construction in the two countries wa equal. Hitherto, however, Britain lm easily demonstrated ability io out strip all rivals in the rate ol oonstrw tion. The possibility of improvement an acceleration in German methods eanno be overlooked, however, and as a pi't I cautionary measure the British Govcri ment proposes, if necessary 5 to ask fo authority to make preparations for Hi rapid construction of four more larg armoured ships, to be laid down on Apr Ist, 1910, and to be completed in Alarcl

Tlie Navy Estimates for the year total j ,a 5,142,700, an increase of X 2,823,200 h over the previous year. With tlie exception of £200,000 contributed to the Navy by Australia, £.100,000 by -New ' Zealand, .C30.01J0 by Cape Colony, and ' J."..j,UUO by Newfoundland, the wnole of this crushing burden falls on the British taxpayer. The question is, how much I further can the screw be applied'/ Despite the assurances of diplomats, it is idle to assert that there is no menace, no design, in the feverish navy-building policy of Germany. The day is coming ■when nations, of necessity, must combine and insist on the casing-up of the pacemaker, if no mutual arrangement can be elfeetcd. In the space of ten years Britain's total naval expenditure has grown from £215,731,220 to £35,142,700. Germany's during the same period increased from £0,072,78S to nearly 17 millions sterling. During the same period, the total naval expenditure of the Great Powers—Great Britain, Germany, Italy, United States, Japan, France, and Russia—has grown from 07 millions annually to the stupendous sum of £115,000,000. At the same ratio of increase, the annual expenditure of these Powers in another ten years will be approaching the appalling total of £170,000,000 per annum. Disarmament, from sheer financial exhaustion, would seem to be within reasonable distance of attainment. Assuredly a remedy, drastic it"inay be, will have to be applied ere many years have passed.