THE BRITISH NAVY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 60, 5 April 1909, Page 2

THE BRITISH NAVY.

CABLE NEW 8

(By Cable—Press Association.—Copyright.)

precautions 10 meet invasion. tlik boers' loyalty, a Canadian" proposal. London, Aiiril 2. As a lirecantion m tile event oi invasion I lie War Office ha, arranged 1» secure at tiny time 2000 taxicabs in Loudon for the transport of 10,000 troop, to the const. The I'all -Mall Gazette is amazed liiat the Labourite members of the House of Commons should go out of their way to protest at somebody else offering help to insure the country's protection. .Mr. Jacob dc Villiors, AttorneyGeneral of the Transvaal, referring to the suggestion of an offer of a Dreadnought to the Imperial Government, said his opinion was that the best present would .be a united community. Aiiy European race imagining that in the event of a European war they might look for help to n portion of the inhabitants of South Africa would be much mistaken. South Africa, he said, I would stand as one man with the Empire.

Several speakers in the Canadian House of Commons suggested a shipyard large enough to build Dreadnoughts. The Navy League has already a--ranged 34 'meetings to be held in the large provincial towns. Mr. Robert Blatehford, in the Clarion, publishes a strong article advocating a powerful fleet and a perfect army.

AUSTRALIA'S DREADNOUGHT. Sydney, April 3. The Hon. W. M. Hughes, AttorneyGeneral for the Commonwealth of Australia, replying to an attack on Mr. Fisher's policy, declared that the bulk of those crying out for Dreadnoughts were doing so tor no other reason than \o " dish " the Labour Party. They were not so much afraid of an attack on Britain as an attack on monopoly. The Sydney Morning Herald, in an appreciative article regarding the decision to present a Dreadnought, »ayi that probably other States will be compelled by public opinion to follow the lead of New South Wales and Victoria. The Lord Mayor has decided that the proposal for a people's Dreadnought shall go on.

STATESMEN'S OPINION'S. "I accept in the fullest and most complete form the docUt.ic that it is necessary for this country to hold the supremacy of the seas. I accept the doc- v trine that the test and standard ol this supremacy is that our Fleet should be as strong as the combined strength of any other two fleets in the world."—Sir H.'Campbcll-BanTierinaii, April 1, 1889. "The two things this country most aiceds are an instructed people and an invincible Navy."—Mr. R. IS. Haldane, M.P. (Secretary of State for War). "The Navy means for you, your existonce as an Empire; it means lor you the fact that you arc free from invasion; it means ior you your daily food and i daily employment. The Navy is all in all and evvrything; therefore, though the cost k great, it is little compared with what it brinjss back fro you."—Lord Sclborne (late First Lord of the Admiralty), February 2G, 1004.

"Tli? moment we lose command of the sea this country will he at the mercy of the enemy."—Mr. 11. H. Asquith, M.P. (Chancellor of the Exchequer), Octobc* 7, 1902.

"We. can build more rapidly as well as more cheaply than other nations, only wc must nuver begin too late.*— Mr. Edmund Robertson. M.P. (Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty), February 8, 1894.

"If the responsible heads of a great Department like the Navy allows the Treasury to coino in and overbear their deliberate judgment by mere penny-wise consideration*, they incur a great responsibility."—Lord Carnarvon. November 13, 1884.

"This axiom will be accepted by everyone—namely, that our country must at all events keep the command of the sea, without having any regard to the cost at which that may be done."—Lord Tweedmouth (First Lord of the Admiralty), House of Lords, April 17,1907. "Nelson's far-distant, storm-beaten ships, upon which the Grand Army never looked, stood between it and the dominion of the world. The world has never seen a more impressive demonstration of the influence of sea-power upon its history."—Mahan.

A COMPARISON. Referring to recent developments oi tlie naval problem, the Auckland Herald says:—"Only in the. United Kingdom and in the British Empire will there be any delusion upon the matter at issue. Our long immunity from foreign interference is plainly due to the daring of our seamen, the courage of our soldiers, and (he bulldog tenacity with which British statesmen have fought doubtful wars against every odds and every discouragement. But instead of this making all British people profoundly and devoutly national, it appcurs to have had no other effect upon considerable numbers than to make them regard war as a myth, patriotism as a vice, and preparations for defence as a misuse of the public funds. Germany shows us a typical Continental State, in which there is a truly national spirit pervading all society, and in which, upon occasion, the nation acts as ono man, whether for dcience or for attack. British Labor members prate in the Imperial Parliament of the 'common enemy' being capitalism, and' of 'the solidarity of labor,' anil of the 'panic' which has been stirred up by party politicians! but the German Socialistic members of the Reichstag say no word and call for no division. British Radicals and Liberals similarly denounce, with foars in then- eyes, those who would set nation against nation and ,pend monev and weapon* for the slaughter of men; but the German Liberals, whose leaders found refuge in England after the '4B troubles, and whose political ideal is a constitution like ours, hare no suck scruples, and would not weaken bv one gun or. by one horsepower the fighting strength of their national Government. No for nothing l„ vc the flermans been drilled lor a hundred years and taught I'.v conquest and misfortune the madness oi presenting a divided country to the foreigner. They ,„ moving with ad•nimbh. unity „nd dignified precision to apoal which it suits their Consul-fien-e.al, and nth,,- representatives to ignore nnd deny, but which is Z \i«ib]c to every thoughtful reader of the «ign< of the ti m( . s . ol tne

F.S, nr «'M'«'J'in B l y remote pestlllg the-11l beside tliemwlvfg, US the cubic Wre.pon, enl.s would have «. believe (>-™mrko,l in,. Toronto (ilobe on imh rebruary. Avitli regard t „ the possibility of an invasion of Britain, the question J f"! '"";,' mvil !f '"*» mixed bv Lord Hnberls) There is quite likely to 1* * pood deal 01 polities in H. The Liberal t.overnment has incurred the enmitv of flaws of the community who have'the will and the power to raise a lot of noi«e «ith the hope of embarrassing Parliament and Hit- administration. There w a fixed, belief that Mr. Lloyd-George's fonliVoming liudgel will not only hit the broiled interest hard, but also the licensed victualler'. These two interests are concerned, in raising a pother about anything that would have the effect of weakening the Awiuith (,'ovcniment. If they ean spread the idea that Mr. Asquilli and hi* colleagues Rre not sufficiently jealous of (he integrity of the country, and are not. alive to the imperulive duty of putting it in a confident posture of defence, they believe they can !-o weaken it as to render their threatened attacks on projierty and lieer migulory. It must lie remembered that I here are immense financial resources behind tariff reform, landed property. and the liquor tmde. Money talks arid talks very loudly sometime*. II can make more noise tlimn numbers. It is neeesoary, therefore, to diseouut to 8 larjre extent any new* tliat has inr it« effect the einlmrrnssment and weaken-i-i«r of the Liberal Government. The greatest question in England is not tli* iiowiVrilily "of a (lerman invasion, but how the seven million peonle who have not enough to eat may be fed. One unrl v thinks it mnv b ■ solved by making food dearer. The'- hope that eonlemnonineonslv work will become more plentiful. The (liivcrnnient now in nower dURents from lU ; s view, (hie thin..' is certain: the million, who have not enoueli to eat will be likelv to fwl that they eould not be anv worse off than ih*v are now evn if the finul were at tholr sates.