MORE DREADNOUGHTS WANTED

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 146, 29 September 1910, Page 5

MORE DREADNOUGHTS WANTED

IN THREE YEARS. TO MAINTAIN BRITAIN'S SUPREMACY. By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright London, September 27. Lord Charles' Beresford, in an open letter to the Premier, urges that a loan should 'be raised to start seven Dreadnoughts in addition to the five arranged in 1011'. Received) September 28, 11.10 p.m. London, September 28. Lord Beresford remarks that reckoning Dreadn.ougjh.tsi alone, the position under the existing arrangements three years hence, will be that our superiority over Germany will be reduced to four. We will be exactly equal to Germany and Austria combined, and inferior by four to the Triple Alliance. He argues that within three years it will be hardly passible to maintain supremacy in Home waters over one foreign Power, owing to the inexorable demand of tihe Mediterranean, due to the strength there of two members of the Triple Alliance. If his proposals were adopted the position in 1313 and 1914 would be: Dreadnoughts. Britain 32 Germany 21 Austria 4 Italy 4 Triple Alliance .... 29 . With such a force and auxiliaries, Britain's safety would be reasonably secured. NO NEED TO WORRY. FARCICAL SCAREMONGERING. Received September 29, 12.55 a.m. London, September 28. The Daily News is protesting! at the farcical scaremongerimg, saying that the Austrian Dreadnoughts are not yet voted'. The Italian naval programme was aimed against Austria. Germany, instead of 21, would have 17 in the spring of 1913 and 21 in 1914. Britain in the spring of 1913 would have, including colonial and "Lord -Nelsons," 29. If she builds four this year she will have 33 in 1915, eight beyond Lord Beresford's calculation.