SUPREMACY ON PAPER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 87, 8 May 1909, Page 4

SUPREMACY ON PAPER.

GIORMAX VIEW OF TIIE BRITISH NAVAL ESTIMATES. Berlin, March 11. German naval experts :l rc bv no means deeply impressed by the British N'aval Estimates made known yesterday in lengthy telegrams from London, The conviction exists hen. thai, tinnumber of ue w ships to be laid do,\vn during the coming financial year bare.lv suffices to maintain Hi,. hvu-Power slaiidnrit. No serious significance is attached lo the announcement that lour more Dreadnoughts may possibly, under certain circumstances, be laid down, because this clause is regarded as a worth. less concession lo British public opinio;], which demands lite absolute maintenance of naval supremacy at all costs. These provisional terms for more Dreadnoughts are regarded as a clever devic,. to soothe the conscience of those Liberals who realise that the shipbuilding programme in it- original form docs not „ullicc to safeguard"national inter-1 esls. | According to the information of (,'cr-j man experts, the weakness of the British | naval programme for Hie year lies in its j failure lo provide irained'crews to mat the new battleships. The opinion pro- | vails here that while Britain possesses a magnificent dec), built of (he finest material, and equipped iu ever,- vespect In accordance with (he necessities of modern warfare, site lias not (he trained crews In mini them.

/the dangerous weakness of the British Navy in I his respect i- well kixwn lo the German (ioverniiie.it, and leads German naval men (o (on-luil,. that the liriiish -upi-emiiey in the Will Sea would not he so absolute in reality as it is on paper. Il is thought her,, that even- new biltlesliip laid down by ISrita'ni is practically useless unless provision b ( , made "I the ..nine lime to train the full complement of ,-rcws to handle them under wnv conditions.

liimii'iis.. sinus di'v.ilril to ikmv l)ri>,Kln»n<M< iii-p. therefore, n-jiavdnl as sn niiicli vrnste. l)(.(. n iisi' no provision has In'cn miioV to s-iipnly the men whme efficiency transforms them into useful weapons Of ww,