THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1906.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8246, 26 September 1906, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1906.

The provisional curtailment of the British programme of naval construction for the current year has excited neither surprise nor discussion in Germany, The decision had been anticipated for some time. In interested quarters every fluctuation of British publib opinion during the last few months has been followed with close attention but whether the reductions wbich are imminent in British armaments correspond to German expectations it is difficult to say. The almost complete silence in which the German press has passed over the question of British naval reductions is sufficiently eloquent. Beyond a few, timid words of encouyugement iu clerical journals there has been no comment worth mentioning on the subject. International conferences of all binds, unless, of course, they are summoned under Gerinau auspices,

and the djscuasiou of such questions as the limitation ol ( armaments are impartially regarddd in Germany as profitless and academ'c. While perfectly ready to applaud the magnanimity of her neighbours and to profit by it, Germany remains sceptical and apart. Those who imagine that she will unbend so far as to entertain any practical proposal for the limitation of armaments by mutual conseut will be disappointed. As a matter of fact, there is no reason to believe that the German programme as supplemented by this year's Bill will not be carried out in its entirety and with punctuality. The coutraot for the new battleship of 18,000 tons which is to take the place of the obsolete Bayern has already been assigned to the Imperial navy yard at Wilhelmshaven, while the first of the new large cruisers will bo built at Kiel. At present ouly the Imperial navy yard at Wilhelmaliaven and the Schrichan yards at Daotzig have the requisite facilities for building ships of 18,000 tons. The other yards, however, are building new slips and launching ways with all possible despatch, and the work will be completed by Deoember or the beginning of next year. No more erroneous impression could be entertained than that the rate of construction lu German yards ia not capable of being oonsideraby increased. There ia no reason whatsoever beyond the exigencies of the financial situation why German yards should not be able to work with equal rapidity as British oontracfcois or navy yards. The accommodation and the equipment of the yards are, or shortly will bo, equal to every requirement and the workmen are of the highest class. Incidentally it nay be noted that thß hours of labour in the Imperial dockyards have recently boon reduced to nine an! in some cases to eight, while private yards aie continually oomplaiaing that they do not receive more Government orders. The ships now laid down wili nevertheless be ready in the year 1909 and their sister-ships at the appointed time. If, iu the meantime, a crisis should arise ii will be seen of what efforts German shipbuilders are capable, and if the emergency be national the financial obstaole will prove Dy no means insurmountable.