The Daily News TUESDAY, MARCH 23. TO THE RESCUE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 49, 23 March 1909, Page 2

The Daily News TUESDAY, MARCH 23. TO THE RESCUE.

Gratification and pride in the ability of this country to be of sonic practical i assistance to the Empire in the hour of peril will to-day, we believe, be the ■paramount feeling of Sew Zealandors on learning of the decison of our Government " to oiler to defray the cost of the immediate building and arming of a lirstclass battleship of the latest type, anil, if subsequent event's show it necessary, to provide the cost of a second warship of the same type," That the events of tlie past few days have disclosed a condition of affairs amounting to national peril, threatening the dominant I naval position of liritain, and conse--11 (juently national existence, none can deny in the fact of the irrefutable evidence before us. Jt has now been (Unclosed that Herman shipbuilding has been progressing at a rate unsuspected in official circles in Britain—or, if suspected, passed unnoticed—with the result that in the race to maintain Britain's traditional supremacy, the naval stand-

aril, there is grave danger of our safety margin ljeiiijr lost, in so far, at least, as the latest type of warships is concerned. A few days ago, referring to this subject, we pointed out that German naval ambition was practically setting the pace for naval shipbuilding the world over, and expressed the belief

that tile time -was approaching when pressure would have to be brought to bear on (ierinany compelling her to ease up. But after all, that is only a possibility of the future. For the present it is plain that, unless Britain "spurts," the two-rower standard cannot much longer exist.

The reasons which have brought about this naval contretemps are obvious. Romany's feverish construction policy is (jiiile iinrecuiicilahlc with her peaceful protestations. The generally accepted British view of Germany's designs recently received ail unexpected endorsement from the Kaiser, at a reception to a number of his generals, when he read for their instruction an article by the late Chief of the General Stall' of the

German Army, who argued that "the

only defence for Germany is to attack. That such an article should be pub-

lished by a writer in high authority is a disquieting circumstance; but that the Kaiser should read this article to all his generals is an incident yet more disquieting. The explanation that the article was only read as "an academic essay on military tactics" is too incredulous for belief in the light of past experiences. The foregoing challenge, therefore, combined with the knowledge wc now have that ticriuuny is feverishly and, to some extent, secretly, building a powerful navy, provide all the justification required for Britain to make a counter-move. | Crushing as the burden is, there will be no hesitation, no diversion from I'ic | resolve of the British people to main-1 lain navy supremacy. Taere are those j who argue that war at the present June |

ture might be a blessing in disguise, on the assumption apparently that German ambition might be more' easily curbed now than in the future. Such an argument, however, cannot be for a moment tolerated. There remains only one way, therefore, by which Britain' can ■make her meaning perfectly clear to competitors—a sudden spurt in shipbuilding such as would indicate to others thai it is entirely useless for them to try to "cap" her, because she means to kcej) up a navy that will guarantee British security, be the cost what it may. . Cobdeu's saying that lie would vote a hundred millions sterling rather than allow a foreign navy to be increased to a level of ours, is more applicable now than ever to the position, because we arc within reach of such a situation. The maintenance of the traditional naval policy demands that provision should be made for an increased number of Dreadnoughts, with a proportionate!

number, of cruisers and torpedo-boats, and that the vessels should be begun early, so as to allow for their comple-

tion in time to prevent any loss of relative strength owing to the carrying out of the German programme. * A programme ot such immensity, however, resolves itself into one of ways and means, although some slight consolation may be

drawn from the fact that Gerinanv'can much less afford to carry the financial strain tlmii can Britain, more especially when the enormous cost of maintain- ■

ing the German army is taken into account, hi a Message to Congress last year President ltoosevell used words which are particularly applicable to this line of thought, "When a nation is so happily situated as ours—that is, when it lias no reason to fear or to be feared by its land neighbours—the licet is all the more accessary for the preservation of peace, Ureal. Britain has been saved

2 1 hy its Meet from the necessity of lacgj in:,' one of two alternative;— of submisjj sion to conquest by u foreign Power, or of

itself heeomiiig a great military Power. . | rt should not be forgotten that Jlri- - I tain's naval supremacy is the price she ]>nys for her voluntary army, equally as the protection of New Zen'liiml in." 11.,.

1 navy has saved ua a great military expenditure. It is accepted that the s'afeh of the Empire would be risked were llritains' naval equipment to fall behind. As the Powers increase their naval ar-

mainents, .so must /iritain. in greater ratio, to maintain the two-Power" and a margin standard. This can and will be r (lone, but there is a limit bevond which . the resources of a country may not be taxed. It is conceivable,'therefore, 1 hat

the time might not be far distant when Britain would find herself financially unable to keep pace against a combination of two navy-building Powers. The stepping 0 f the autonomous colonies into tile breach, however puts quite a new complexion on the situation. Here is a contingency upon which the lowers could not have reckoned The limit of Jliitain's endurance in the naval race might be more or less hazarded bv Germany, but the intrusion of the l.ntish dominions overseas opens up possibilities Una could j„ )t have been an-

icipated. Jl, ,„ ,„ iu ,„„,..,! (l|rw , t M 0 ess than in its ],raclica| addition to ams naval strcnglh. u liU Xnv Xn . hi"-lsollerofaJ)readno„gluisaueve„t «'t outstanding signiiicance, one which, moreover alters the whole complexion of Impcna! dcience. In the liglit of current y ?,,."• '*. llluu,st J1SS »"«1 that Xew Zealand s oiler is but the first decision

.1" similar direction by Australia, Canada, and probably South Africa. Imperial '"'.'""""ty on this question should I'ring home to the Hermans the futility \

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