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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 91, 13 May 1909, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND'S DREADNOUGHT. Judging from the .reports and comments in the English files to hand, New Zealand's offer of a Drcadnought-and a second, if necessary-created a tremendous impression in Britain, and not » little interest in the Continental countries. The sober and influential London Spectator reflects opinion j„ these words:---AV L . must join in expressing our delight at the way in which the situation has been met in our Colonics. It is true that the Colonics have done exactly what every Briton knew tliev would do. They have proved their determination to stand by the Motherland without cavil or criticism. But inongli the .parent-State may have lead no shade of a shadow of a doubt as to the love of the daughter-nations, her pride and satisfaction are none the less great whc:i that love is shown as it has been shown in the last few days. No part of the Empire will grudge New Zealand the honor of having on the present occasion led the way by her offer to give one battleship now, and another if necessary—an offer which has been gladly and gratefully accepted. It was appropriate that the Island Dominion should have been the first to turn her thoughts to ships. It is true that Australia Is also an Island State, but tile vastness of the continent makes her less conscious of the fact. New Zealand, like Britain, is an archipelago of islands, and there, as here, the sound of th.. waters is in all men's ears, it is not for us to say a. word as to whether New Zealand's example will be, or shou.d be, followed by Australia, Canada, and South Africa. Each daughter-nation must be guided by her special circumstances. We are content to know that ill each case the intention to play her part, and to help the Motherland, is there, and is sure to lind true and practical expression. If twy years hence we are able to have a squadron of colonial capital battleships, the Empire will indeed be proud of such an addition to the Fleet. Should, however, the determination to shojv that the Empire is one to'he expressed in s'onie other way, the British people will have nothing to complain of."

The London Daily Telegraph treats of the financial aspect of the oiler:—"The first cost of a Dreadnought may he regarded as, roughly, JM,7.30,000, with the guns; some ships have cost less than this, but it is a fair average. In the case of a colony the sum need not be paid down at once, u'i course, as such a ship could not be built in the existing circumstances iu England much under three years. Tile outlay could be met by a loan repayable in any number of annual payments. Such a ship will remain effective 20 years—the period of replacement fixed in the tlennany Navy! Act of last year, hi the circumstances tile cost could therefore be raised as a loan on the same principle as has been adopted in the past for British naval works. If this loan were placed at 3 1 /, per cent., the annual payment for 20 years, for interest and sinking fund, would be about ,C 12.3,000. for the j whole of that period such a colonial Dreadnought would remain a- unit of the Heel. If, on the other hand, it were decided to pay for the vessel in ten years, then the payment would be about £215,000." "The timely, magnificent, simply-ex-pressed intention of New Zealand to bring a battleship to the succor of the Motherland, taken iu conjunction wilh kindred movements in the Commonwealth/' says Mr 11. W. l.uey, in his monthly letter to the Sydney Morning Herald, "has gone straight to the hearts of the people in England. It has its sentimental and domestic charm, as illustrating afresh that blood is thicker than all the water that Mows between England and her colonics. Ileyond that, regarded from Imperial grounds, it is, for whom it may concern, a significant mil mo- I nicnloiis incident. In spile of cunningly concocted, sedulously stirred clamour of assumed fright, everyone knows that the , naval position of Great Britain at the present moment is relatively stronger than it has been since the days of Tra- I falgar. Here, unsolicited, unexpected, is | ( a practical offer of help which indefinite- J - ly cxteilds the arrowy of defence, It was! 1

shown during the Boer war that England's land forces may in time of peril | bo recruited from the teeming population of the colonics. Sow it is mado clear that, whilst in order to maintain the naval supremacy of the little island sot in a northern sea its sous will grudge no expenditure, their brothers peopling foreign lands are ready, even eager, to share the burden."