A GRAVE SITUATION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 56, 31 March 1909, Page 2

A GRAVE SITUATION

CABLE NEW*

(By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.)

CEXSI RE DEBATE IX THIS HUL SIS OF COMMONS.

• EXSAI'IOXAL OFFICIAL DECLAUATIO.N.

TO COPE WITH GERMANY'S DREADX'OI'GHTS.

UECONsTRI'CTIOX OK THE WHOLE BRITISH FLEET.

Reeeiwd 30, l(l.;iu p.m. London, March 30. Mr. A. 11. Lee moved the vote of tenMire in moderate terms. lie denied that there was any public panic, and it was only natural that acuU; anxiety bliould lie fvlt as the result of Mr. Asquith's speech on the ItitJi. It was absurd to talk of Gerinunj's treuchcry, Safety lay in refusing to be influenced by Germany's promise not to accelerate her navy building. A diplomatic declaration might bit'Ome obsolete in a week, Miereas it would take two years to construct a battlesliip. Sir E. (irey rvplied. lie eouuneuded tho absence of party feeling in Mr. Lee'# speech, but the Opposition, ho said, ought to have deferred their censure motion until July, when the shipbuilding vote would be considered, and more information o;i which to form a right judgment would be available. Continuing, he saidi the House and the country were perfectly right to view the new situation created by the Uerman programme as grave. When complete, Germany would have 33 Dreadnoughts, the most powerful fleet in the world. That imposed 011 Britain the necessity of re building the whole fleet. Sir E. Grey's declaration created a sensation in the crowded House.

POSITION CANDIDLY ANALYSED. BRITAIN'S PREPARATIONS Received March 31, 12.10 a.m. London, March 30. Sir Edward Grey, continuing, said the element of uncertainty was when this must be done. It was a first necessity, therefore, to lake stock of the plant of the country, and that the Admiralty had done. The British capacity for building hulls and propelling mat-Linery, and tlie manufacture of the larjgest guns, was considerably in excess of Germany's. Tlie iloubltul point was the compara live capacity to provide gun mountings. The Admiralty had now arranged with manufacturers to provide such an increase that in a few months there would lie 11 similar advance in this branch.

Dealing with diplomatic volutions, Sir E. Grey insisted 011 the good results of King Edward's Berlin visit. Two tilings might produce a conflict; first, n British attempt to isolate Germany, and second, the isolation of Britain in the at(tempt ,of any Continental l'ower to dominate and dictate the policy of the Continent. There was no reason to apprehend either contingency, European i'owers were spending half their revenue in preparations to kill each other, and the extent of this expenditure had become a satire and a reflection upon civilisation. But Britain must he prepared to defend her national existence under conditions imposed in her own generation, He was glad the colonies, such as Xew Zealand, recognise that their national existence is at one with ours in tliix matter.

Received March 31, 1.15 a.lll. London, March 30.

Sir E. (Jley continuing, said: "Tie only possible basis of agreement for limitation is an acknowledgment of British naval superiority. In January, I made our information regarding acceleration known to Germany, adding that she must not be surprised if the British estimates were increased. Germany, in a verbal but quite definite declaration, stated she would have thirteen Dreadr (noughts at the end of 11)12. This disposes of the extreme apprehension regarding IUIO-IDII. The four British hypothetical Dreadnoughts are not intended for limitation of the next programme, and national security shall have the benefit of any doubt." Mr. Asquith added a little to Sir E, Grey's speech, and concluded with a strong appeal to his supporters to vote confidence,

Mr. Balfour, winding up the debate, said the Government was relying on too small a margin of naval strength at the present time, when a greater strain was being placed on our defensive resources than for the last hundred years. The motion was rejected by 353 votes to 134.

Lieut. Bcllairs and Captain Kincaidtamith voted in favor, and the Laborites voted against the motion. The Nationalists abstained from voting.

THE CROYDON BYE-ELECTION,

SHOWING THE FEELING OF THE PBOPLE.

' IleceivctiJ B], 1.25 a.m. .... ~ Londoa, March 30. J lie vroydou election resulted:—Her'lodge (Tariff Reformer), 11,08 a; Kiiiiliiu'l (Radical), 8041; Frank . tlle 'l l "' stiou of the immediate >">ldmg of the coatiugent Dreadnoughts. I'lie announcement of the fl»ures caused a sensation in the House «f Commons during .Mr. Balfour's speech.

AUSTRALIAN I'EACE SOCIETY. . Sydney, March 29. A meeting of the Peace Society adopted n resolution deploring the puttlie excitement in regard to the Brftisa and (lerman navies, regretting the misplaced generosity of certain citizens, and supporting llr Andrew fisher's action ill refusing to involve the people of the Commonwealth in proseiitiii" a Dread, nought to Britain.

. Clintc.ll OPINION'S. MIXINJ ].; x: A.M) DK.U'ONS DLSAGHKE, „ . Napier, -March 211. At the Baptist t'hnwh Inst evenng till' -Niiv.v i|U('stini|tfomic-(l the subject of a smiion by the fey. J. K. Archer. He said that personally l. e was a Btitisher, i'.'" 1 eonllict between Jiritaii, and M-liniiiiy lie won],] hkc to see tile Power of Bntain maintained, but he held that | U)ll| il »<'ver be such a conflict. In conclusion lie advocated a holy alliance between the masses of Germany, '"-am lrance, liussia, and America >lll.l other great nations to have international disputes settled by arbitration. At the conclusion of the sermon questions were united. .Mr. J. 11. Tliomp. son, speakm'g as one of the deacons of the church, said he regretted Mr. Archer lad not dealt with the subject at one ot the brotherhood meetings iustea.l of at the church. lie was afraid that the nnpress'on might go outside that the Baptist Church was disloyal. llr. \V. P. Lit seel les, another deacon, i ndoi seil tl.e rem,irks made by Mr. .lhonipsnn Mr. I.ascelles said he thought I , a - K "''! tlu,t 11 Sunday evening service should have been devoted to a subject of this sort. When ] lO „. iul thc aniiouiiceinent \»f the subject in tha newspaper he was very much hurt, and i( reaVy wondered whether the Old -"spel Imd lost its charm when it had to give place to such subjects as they liafl listened to that evenig ' A " he , r Sl, i a •''' thought his two * nnd mistaken his Argument, . ■•'K-h was not that Knglaml was wronft ■n this dispute, or that Germnay waa but that the time had come when war should be abolished. So far as the piopiicty of introducing such a question into Jus sermons was concerned, that must be left to his own judgment. He would continue to preach against war, and to speak 011 any subject whicn M-eiued to lie necessary and in harmony with what he believed to l>e the truth. Ihe minister's remarks were received with applause.

~ , , . Auckland, March 20. At the l'ltt Street Methodist Church hist night the Kcv. J. A. I.uxford said ! mat hnglands supremacy on the'sea was Coil-given for purposes of beneficence mid benevolence. If wo lost our prestige as a naval Power, we would lose our influence among the nation, and this loss of prestige would mean »• loss Ot 1,0 opportunity of benefiting t ! l V v,> ; lk ' l oppressed, and the u„. civilised. Great Britain had succeeded to a giinirt and world-wide mission spiritually and ethically the same as God had to ins ancient Israel.