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THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1909. NO HALF-WAY HOUSE.

A writer in a recent number of the "Nineteenth Century" magazine contributes a thoughtful article on the relative positions of Germany and Great Britain in connection with naval construction. The contribution in question is entitled "The Berlin Crisis," and reference is, of course, made to the latest of the Kaiser's indiscreet statements. Passing on, however, the writer points out that there is no prospect whatever of a real friendly understanding between

Britain and Germany until an agreement shall have been effected between the two countries on the question of naval expenditure. This is, he contends, the only real point of difference between Britain and Germany, but, it may be remarked that the vigour with which each country is building and maintaining its navy must prove a great strain upon the respective peoples, and herein, it seems to us, lies a grave danger. The financial strain will excite irritation more rapidly than any other influence, and in such circumstances there will be an increasing desire to end the position by means the reverse of pacific. To quote the writer referred to:—"Prince Bulow, in November last, in the Reichstag, declared that, as Germany had been compelled to take up a world policy, the new Empire was obliged to provide itself with a navy adequate for the protection of German coasts, of German oversea interests, and of German commerce. 'We had to build this fleet,' said the Chancellor, 'and we had to build it quickly.' Very well. Germany had, according to her view, to build this fleet; anil nobody in Britain contests her right to build whatever fleet she likes. But we do in Britain step in and protest, not against Germany's right to build a large fleet, but—and that is a very different thing—against the enormous expenditure that her new point of view forces upon our own citizens. We consider that Germany is building a much larger fleet than is necessary for the mere defensive purposes she says she has in view; and as we are bound from the very condition of our existence to strengthen our naval armaments in proportion as our neighbours and other countries strengthen theirs we resent what we consider to be the thrusting of unnecessary expenditure upon us. Sir Edward Grey summed up the situation when he said: —'Take, for instance, our naval power. We must have and we must maintain it. It must be a naval power equal to meet and to overcome any probable combination which might be brought to bear upon us, bocaube without that we cannot protect what we have. There is no half-way v house, as far as we are concerned, in naval affairs; thsre is no half-way house between complete safety and absolute ruin." We are an island Power, and our island population depend upon their food supplies from abroad. If our coisti were blockaded by a superior hostile naval force, our people would be starved; but if Germany's coasts were blockaded, she would obtain that amount of corn and supplies of other kinds which she does not produce herself from inland .countries untouched by auaval blockade. .... We ,do not, of

course, ask Germany to repeal policy or even to amend it; but we point out that the increase of the size and fighting; strength of the new type of battleship now adopted by all naval Powers has vastly increased the amount of naval expenditure. Of course Germany's new nava! policy and her naval programme have created a new condition of things in the North Sea. We consider that a discussion on this subject would be profitable and might help to amelicr ite the political relations of the two countries. Both Kaiser Wilholm ard King Edward have been working for the peace of the world. King Edward said at Wilhelrnshohe: 'Your Majesty knows that it is my greatest wish that only the bust and pleasantestrelations should exist between the two nations," The King is bound to accept the naval policy of his people. This policy is to tmild two Dreadnoughts for every one that Germany builds. But our Govarnment .want the German Government to have a discussion on the question of naval expenditure. Why should this discussion not take place between two Great Powers whose Sovereigns and Governments aim at the maintenance of general peace and desire mutual good relations, and whose peoples are eminently pacific in their sentiments? The olive branch was actually held out by Britain when the King went to Cronberg last August, and the German Government have long known that the British Government are ready to discuss this matter. As long as the question of naval expenditure is not discussed between Berlin and London no visits of sovereigns, no exchanges of politeness, between the monarchs and sections of their people, will be of any,avail for the dissipation of that mutual distrust that prevails and has long prevailed."

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WAG19090208.2.6

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3110, 8 February 1909, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
822

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1909. NO HALF-WAY HOUSE. Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3110, 8 February 1909, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1909. NO HALF-WAY HOUSE. Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3110, 8 February 1909, Page 4

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