THE BRITISH NAVY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 46, 19 March 1909, Page 2

THE BRITISH NAVY.

A I'KQFOUNI) SENSATION. NKWSI'AI'EIi VIEWS. London, .March 17. The Jiavv debate has created a pro found sensation in the country. The Daily News reluctantly supports the Estimates, and argues that tire entente of Uritain, France, and Uussia dominates the European situation and explains Germany's fears. .Meanwhile, disastrous competition means to us an increase of taxation, possibly beggaring social reform. The Chronicle declares that th> question iB no longer whether Ministers are justilied in proposing so much, but rather whether we are justilied in not proposing more. The Times notes Mr. Asijiiith'* renew-1 ed pledge, and hints that this may utti-1 mately entail enlarging the present esti mates. It adds that the German dockyards and factories arc working night and duy, the Government in some cases paying 2.3 per cent, above the original estimates.

Tile Westminster Gazette says that Hie Government's frank statement of Germany's acceleration was nnulr to ensure mmnimitv amongst its supporters. Tlie I'all Mall Gazelle says Unit Austria is laving down a Dreadnought, and that Austria's navy in future must lie reckoned as being pari of the German navy. THE EFFECT IX THE I'KUVIXC'ES. iMOIiE DHEADXOUGIITS WANTED. Jieeeived 18, 0.33 p.m. London, Mai eh 18. The profound etl'eet the Xavjil Staleincut liad in London has re-eehoei through the provinces. l"uio;ii'st ipa'pern insiat on e.vtr.i Dreadnoughts being put in the blips immediately. The Uadical papers admit it is neees sary for the Covermnenl to have a frei hand. hut think that social reform hai met with a set-back.

IHSI'-l'-SSION IN THE COMMONS. A DEMAND ,F01! EIGHT DREADNOUGHTS. ACTIVITY AT KRUT'S WORKS. Received IS, 0.35 p.m. .Ixradon, March 18. In, the House of Commons, Mr. Ar-. tllui' Lee said the nation demanded the (I'iiivenime.nt to at onw older eight (Dreadnoughts. The number of employeew at Kru>pp's works, he said, increased by 38,(100 last year. All tht) troublo was due to the Government not mi)rying out Lord Cawdor's pro.grannie. Mr. A. Jlarvey announced t'hat he did not propose to move thu Reduction, of Armament .Committee's amendment. Dr. Macnamara dwelt on the value of the i>re-Dreadnouglit battleships. Messrs Dillon and Henderson accused, the ■Gloveruiuent of pandering to *panic\ auongei^. GREAT INTEREST IN GERMANY. SPARING PRESS COMMENT. Received 18. p.m. Berlin, .March 18. The -naval dAate in the British House o : f (Axniinon's .aroused interes't on Germany. The Pre**, however, is in its toininenl. T-he Xeucste Maehriehten, the organ of the German Navy league, is incensed at Germany informing liritaiu that she does not intend to. hasten her rate of ik)nstruction, and cliarat'teriscs the, supplying 'of tliis information as a, regrettable -weakness.

•STATEMENT IN THE REICHSTAG, GERMANY'S STRENGTH IN , 1!>12. JPRITISH -ESTIMATE QUESTIONED. NO PROPOSAL .FOR DISARMAMENT .MADE. Received 18, i 10.53 p.m. I Berlin,' March 18. Admiral Yon Tii'pitz (Minister for IMa'rine), Speaking in tliej Reichstag, stated that in .the autumn of 11)12 Germany would have only 13 Dreadnoughts and InvMbles. , He -did not know on what grounds Mr. M'cKeiinii (l'irst Lord of tlie British Admiralty) arrived at the larger rfi'giii-es. X 0 proposal for disnroimment had, he said, been made to German v.

hi ll< l lii- I'Oliiimnimnoiil mado wilh till.' hilt!lcshij) Neptune, it may bt ■asked, how ilws tlic J!rili-!i \;iv v st«ind nMpiie.sviil. The i|imst'iou is (remarked t l-ondou Daily Tele-graph's , mval C(|f . «rc»iioudMrt 011 awb Januarv), a very; ll ;! l : i : , '" il illHl sl ii'piy ciui iw plied iH lnvJi, ,rn Its iiiijitii'tisil statement IM the, fact.-, is above reproach, Under, the authority of tln> I'uiteil .States Govertinicn't u Xiivy War-book Jw« Well compiled,'for jlk. infortnta'iiou of k-"is-ik'tor.s on tliie other .side of the Atlantic! " 1( i •'""'tains a comparative *twl«aont of tlie naval' strength of til*? ■Great .Powers. It excludes all slrtns, ovei 'twenty yea lv old, unless they liOTe and re-artucd siueu •1.101), and thus 'there: are preterit comparative hyures of the utmost value of .the modc.ru Jleet's. They exclude- all •vessels which, although authorised, t»d ■not been actually licgim on Ist Xovew•ber, l,ms. and v take ua «i«*ouail of ari'y of tli,c .-/hips uf Ux» JjTitjsh .programme of the prcsi'iit iiirxntfial year, %ut do include the eorrcunits of flit- liertuiui ttud Auioi K'iiii Ihcts whfcli Jiave boon already eoiu'uieiiml. ;

[ Bearingi'n mind this iiiHportajit point, , ■ ''ontrast Is not, unfavorable tu lii'ea.t Britain'. The following statement, contains a comparison of the eeo, istrength of Great Blritaiii, Germanv, and Fraita', the three leading European ufaval Powers;

Great liri't'u. Germ'y. France ~~, -No. JJok Battleships (1(1,(101) tons 1 and over .. 58 :># ■ ->^ Coastal vessels (oldl 8 U Armored cruiser*.'—fly "jO™ : >]i 'CruisersAbove U(llil) loin 18 I W»I0 lo MIIIO |on„ .|.-) on j' { :mini to Hum tons 25 17 i'o Destroyers .. ~ 107 72 Torpedo-Wats .. 71 4-) .lyjj Subniiiriiie-.. .. on ,f ", )4

•182 222 jlil The tonnage is:- Britain, 1,871.17(1; Germany, U!W,5!)!I; France. 301,128. ' The United States is credited with 2!) battleships, 12 annorctl cruisers, 5 pro- | tected cruisers of over (HHIII tons and ■U others, and 82 toqpedo craft of all types. Including 11 coast defence ships, the '1 silted 'State* has 17ii nien-ol'-war of 770,403 tons. Ihe Year Hook also contain;! a coni'pilation showing the guns carried by the battleship-, of the Powers, but take's no account uf the 'beautiful and poweriul !).-2in Avea'pon which is carried l»v the nntish 1--Qrd Nelsons a<ul Kdwards in association with the 12in «un. The comparative are as foTinw* t|,e guiw of hhips building beiu<> ,i h parentlieM-M — '

Guas. "'»• I'-iin- 13in.Tls. ISntaiu ... .crmany .. ;,ii |;!2) Nil (tiO) - lj* .: rn ,;■ -• 12 (32) 13 87 I luted Static II"' American compiler claims that

I. r . ,fe r "»■ "'H-inl strongest ! 11 Ihe world during Ulc .year IdUS It ls " liU "tailled tlii. ri , W -. IIOWI1 lOWI , VI ,; , |V i' very narrow margin, for (ierinanv'hu's made stride to the front. ami threatens TO I ' l ' """ I'"-' l ,hu '-' - 11 "' °«'"l"cd in ""'J- to (Ireal Britain. Y' 1 ";,"" tilo hand, lias .slipped (,crmany. and U rated the fourth naval power, with Ja.paa tiffli. „ m | lis . lanced 'Considerably by France. lir t ti'fi'i"!i " n" li !' f ? r ,ilu " ul ill »»v«l ! | • V';,, Wll tlwt •'»l>«n is d°'!'fr little for her siavv

notwithstanding the rojinru u f (j u » jJ,' ViJopinenl ol a great navy by the "Yankees of the I'ar hast..'' Japan at present is building only two Jlrst-elus ( . battleships. Plans liavc been made, it is admitted. for two Other baitle-hips. i|,„l Work oil them has not been started 'Japan has completed no batik-hiiis ~in<-e IDIHI. 1

Hitherto France, it i> ]iointed out. ha,, ranked ahead of (.'crmany, but the latt«r 'ha« jumped to the fore with two new 'battleships, ami France has not, added any big ships in the jiast year. France, 'to be sure, lias :1 larger number of vessels, ami a larger tonnage, than either the United .States or 'Germany, lmt luanv of these are obsolete, niaiiy are small, and therefore France has beeu placed behind Iwtli the United States I Germany.

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