BRITISH NAVAL SUPREMACY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 193, 13 February 1912, Page 5

BRITISH NAVAL SUPREMACY

MR. CHURCHILL'S SPEECH. GERMANY'S REPLY. By Cable—lPrees Association—Copyright. Berlin, February 11. The Berliner Zeitung says that only in an English brain can a world position be pictured as in Mr. Churchill's speech. Germans refuse to continue to pay awesome respect to this old British nightmare.

LORD HALDANE'S VISIT. Berlin, February 11. The Kaiser sent Lord Haldane a bronze bust of himself as a token of the interest taken by Lord Haldane in the Anglo-German rapprochement. Paris, February 11. Lord Haldane left after a conference with Sir Ernest Cassel.

THE ISLAND OF TIMOR. Received 13, 12.30 a.m. Brussels, February 12. The Belgian periodical, Mouvement Geographic, states that the Anglo-Ger-man. pourparlers relate largely to the Island cf Timor, tin half whereof belongs to Portugal, and the neighboring Island of Cambing. Germany is greatly interested, and will compensate Portugal for the loss of the islands.

PRESS CRITICISM. London, February 11. The Times says that the speech struck a strong, firm note, though the word "luxury" used in describing Germany's fleet was unwisely chosen, as the Germans must protect their sea-borne commerce.

The Chronicle says that the Cabinet's maintenance of supremacy is a useful reminder of the attitude of a Liberal Cabinet containing a powerful friend of peace.

The Daily News says the speech is inopportune when Lord Haldane is cultivating good feeling in Germany. Speeches like those of Messrs. Churchill and Lloyd George, which, affect international relations, ought to be reserved for the Premier and Sir Edward Grey (Secretary for Foreign Affairs). The Morning Leader endorses Mr. Churchill's candour on the eve of efforts to attain an understanding with Germany.

The great shipbuilding programme established by the Navy Law of 1900, and amended by the laws of 1906 and 1908, affords a striking illustration of the German love of orderliness and method. The essence of naval expenditure on new,vessels was given by the semi-offi-cial North German Gazette on March 32, 1910, when it state that "the sums necessary for the construction of German battleships are asked for in four annual instalments, and consequently the period of construction is about 36 to 40 months." The'official order for the construction of a new vessel depends upon the voting of the first instalment, and coincides in point of time with the beginning of the financial year. Thus in any given year a certain number of instalments have to be voted in accordance with the naval programme. The instalments vary in amount. In practice, the second is usually the largest, but the deviations from the average tend to balance one another,' and it is possible to foresee the financial burden involved from year to year with almost complete accuracy.