WHAT WAR MAY COST.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 116, 14 June 1909, Page 4

WHAT WAR MAY COST.

A MILLION POUNDS A DAY, PRICE OF A DKKADXOUuIJT OOMi IN TWO DAYS. 45 A war with Germany would cost us a million pounds a day. If an invincible ileet will efficiently avert a war, it is the best investment the 'nation can make/'

This is the opinion expressed by a prominent naval officer to the Devonport correspondent of the London Express. Naval men at Plymouth . and Devonport are unanimous in their satisfaction at the national demand for eight new Dreadnoughts this year. They maintain that the advent of these powerful vessels places Knglaml at a distinct disadvantage in the competition of armaments by rendering all previous types relativelv obsolete.

The oiVicer referred to above pointed out that the duration of a *oa war is necessarily covered by the size and efficiency of the contending Heels. " A million pounds a day," be said, " is half the price of a Dreadnought. Now, suppose tlit; possession of ten more Dreadnoughts cut down the duration of a struggle by only om> month, the expenditure would be more than justified. Here in a nutshell is the economic argument in favor of an nil-powerful ilv X; ]f an invincible licet "will efficiently avert a war, it is the best investment the nation can make" Naval men at Portsmouth are of the same opinion. •' hi no uncurtain manner,-' sain an olVicer to i.l»" Express correspondent, " we must show tlml w<" deternnni'U not to imperil our naval supremacy by laying down fewer than night slups this year. 11 Germany will see that we are ra earnest, ami she may revise her naval policy. In modern naval warfare wastage will lie in ships. "Xo matter how skilled our person nel, we shall lie helpless if we have no. the ships to Cmlit in. Further, we must have, and miickly too, move docks on ■the east coast to take and repair Dreadnoughts behind the protection of shore batteries."