Thank you for correcting the text in this article. Your corrections improve Papers Past searches for everyone. See the latest corrections.

This article contains searchable text which was automatically generated and may contain errors. Join the community and correct any errors you spot to help us improve Papers Past.

Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

GERMANY AND BRITAIN.

BRITAIN'S HOSTILITY ASSUMED. By Cable—Press Association —Copyright. Berlin, January 1. Most of the New Year articles in the German press assume England's hostility, and' many declare she is preparing for war.

The Cologne Cazette says that AngloGerman relations cannot remain as they are. Germany has done everything to avoid a world war, which still threatens. The next move is with England.

ANGLO-GERMAN ARMS. CHURCHILL AND THE NAVY. "BRITAIN WILL NOT FAIL." London, December 18. The general desire to give Mr. Churchill a fair chance at the Admiralty has met with its reward. There was some fear that he might exercise in his new department the administrative economy for which, above all things, he is noted'; but critics of the Government's naval policy are unanimous to-day in their approval of his declaration at the Lord Mayor's banquet. AN INJURIOUS RUMOR. First of all, here is a rumor that has been worrying folk a good deal lately. The transfer of Mr. MeKenna to the Home Office has, of course, to be accounted for, and one explanation that has found wide currency both here and abroad is that Cabinet discovered, during the Moroccan crisis, that the fleets were quite unprepared for an emergency, that the reserves of coal were depleted, and that the stores were quite deficient.

The Telegraph is a consistent critic of Government policy, and therefore there is some weight to its statement in refutation of this rumor. "We have high authority for stating that these reports are entirely lacking in foundation. The responsibility for the distribution of the fleet—its training in peace and readiness for war—rests upon the First Sea Lord of the Admiralty, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur Wilson, who enjoys the fullest confidence of the naval service as a strategist and tactician.. . . It is felt that as these rumors as to the inefficiency of the Fleet not only reflect upon an officer of the highest professional standing, but are calculated to belittle the British Fleet in the.eyes of the world, a categorical denial should be given to them. The Navy at this moment occupies a position of superiority which is has not attained for many years past in relation to any probable or possible combination, and the disposition and war training of the ships reflect the fighting policy of the First Sea Lord."

The force of this assurance was made complete by Mr. Churchill's speech:— ■ "I can assure you that I have assumed the duties of the office to which I have been called with a deep sense of reverence for th« great traditions of the Navy—(cheers)—and with the simple and sincere desire to discharge without failure what must ever be regarded as a national trust. (Cheers.) I began in circumstances which are unusually favorable. The Nayy is strong actually; it is strong relatively. It is highly efficient. The more closely the ships of every type are scrutinised—the more carefully they are compared with the corresponding vessels in other fleets—the more certain and unmistakable will the superiority and the preponderance of the British Navy become. (Cheers.) I owe much to the courage and foresight of my predecessor, Mr. McKenna. (Cheers.) I recognise also the. liberal provision that Parliament has made for the maintenance of its first line of defence. We are beginning to enjov the results of the great work of Lord Fisher —the ablest naval administrator which this country has known—without, the friction which was perhaps inevitably attendant upon its inception; and I can to-night reply to the toast on behalf of the Service, to-night united in sentiment, free within proper limits of professional opinion, and animated in all ranks by a single-hearted desire to serve the State. My voyage, therefore, begins in bright and favoring weather.

THE NAVY IS STRONG.

"The Navy is strong. We have got to keep it strong (loud and continued applause), strong enough, that is to say, for all that it may have to do, and not only strong, but also ready. (Applause.) Instantly ready to put forth its' greatest strength to the greatest possible advantage. (Applause.) So far as I know, there is no reason why this double task should not be achieved without a failure to fulfil the expectations of Mr. McKenna a few weeks ago that the estimates for the forthcoming year 'will show some reduction from the abnormal level at. which they now stand. On every ground, provided that national security is not in the slightest degree compromised, such.'a reduction is to be desired. (Hear, hear.) But here let me say a few words of the utmost plainness. Our naval preparations are necessarily based upon the naval preparations of other Powers. It would be affectation, and quite a futile kind of affectation, to pretend that the sudden and rapid growth of the German Navy is not a main factor in our determination, whether in regard to expenditure or new construction.' To disguise this would be to do less 'than justice to the extraordinary, prodigious developments which have resultucj from Germany energy and German science in recent years. j

"It would toe very foolish to dejny the blunt truth that naval competition between these two mighty empires—who all the time 1 have such enornjious common interests, who all the thrie have no natural cause of quarrel—it! would be foolish to deny that naval Competition between these "lies at the roo# and is the background of almost evety difficulty which has baffled the earliest' efforts which are repeatedly made to arrive at really friendly feelings between the two countries. While that competition continues, every element of distrust and unrest is armed and active, and one evil leads to another in a long and ugly concatenation. We are not so arrogant as to suppose that the blame and the error which follow so often on human footprints 'lie only on one side, but the maintenance of naval supremacy is our whole foundation. Upon it stands not the Empire only, not merely the great commercial prosperity of our people, not merely the first place in the world's affairs—upon our naval supremacy stand our lives and the freedom which we have guarded for nearly a thousand years. WILL GERMANY SLACKEN? "Next year the naval law which, when completed, will give Geraiany a magnificent and formidable ueet, second only to our own—next year that naval law prescribes that the limit of expansion has been reached and that the annual quota of new ships added to the German Navy will fall to half the quota of recent years. Hitherto that law, as fixed by Parliament, has not been in any way exceeded, and I gladly bear witness to the fact that the statements of the German Ministers about it have been strictly borne out by them. Such is the state of affairs in the world to-day that the mere observance of that law without an increase woud' come to Europe as a great and sensible relief. We should feel that, heavy as naval expenditure undoubtedly will be, the high-water mark at any

rate has been reached, and all through the world men Would breathe more freely and the nations would eater upon a more trustful and genial climate. (Hear, hear.) In this we should readily associate ourselves.

"If, on the other hand, the already vast programme of other lowers for war upon the seas should be swollen by new and added expansion, that would be a matter of extreme regret to us and to other States, but I am bound to say, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, that of all States and nations in the world Britain will be found the best able to bear the strain and last to fail at the call of duty." (Cheers.)

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19120103.2.49

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 158, 3 January 1912, Page 5

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,287

GERMANY AND BRITAIN. Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 158, 3 January 1912, Page 5

GERMANY AND BRITAIN. Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 158, 3 January 1912, Page 5

Help

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert