EDITORIAL.

Thames Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 10852, 29 April 1911, Page 4

EDITORIAL.

PRICE OF SUPREMACY.

The Navy Estimates for 101112, amounting to tlie enormous sum of J £44,092,'50 10, seem to h;we teeii regarded even by the Opposition newspapers in the Motherland as 1 being 1 adequate. The oaily vigorous complaints' came from the ranks of the Radicals, and were based on a ftar that the enormous ©xpenduin-i cji armaments would check seriously the progress of a sokial reform. 'The country will regard' the increase in the estimates, considerable as it is, aa inetvitalble," said the London Times), "and tho only question it is likely to ask is whether it is sufficient. In our judlgment .it is perhaps a minimum, but it is not demonstroMy insufficient, having regard to the requirements of the immediate future and to the fact, that oui' supremacy at sea. is at this moment assured' by whatever atindard we cliO'OSia to measure it." "Hit Morning Post was rather 1 lessl gtenevou? in its admissions, but the effect of its remarks was the same. "Tho GjVemment would sieleim to have made up its mind," it said, "to fade the needs of the situation and to d''m:snd at any rate the minimum sum which is alsiolute necessary for the maintenance of the Nalvy." 0(n the other side of politics thei "Wc-.-hrrv,^ Gazette," said that the proo^-ammo meant that in 1914 Britain would ha.VG thirty Dre'adnoughtsi find Germany tw!enty-one. Tho margin was enough to make the country secure, but not so much as to force the pare oi' lead rival countries to 'teheve th'.t tlicy .wem called upon' to liievt >i tihveat of aggression. "It is-? a grave misfortune for Liberalism and the country," said the "Nation," "that while the Admiralty has been eumpelled to drop its whole casei <>f (k'vm:ui adeelera-t.itm tho new estimukr ai'e framed as if it® contention had not I:cen seatlwad to the winds.'' The "Star" reina.rk't'd that it' tho economists were in iflieo the p.jK'i"iil thrifts wore in power. Mir Mc-Kpnna. had :'(>ut-Jingoeid tho Jingo." Apparently •ho Imperial Gi.viTimi'ent may fongratiihito itsiL'U on having ni;\'k* tho lui.val piwitinn quite scure. even if it sufceediud in pleasing noitlier