THE NAVY DEBATE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3141, 19 March 1909, Page 5

THE NAVY DEBATE.

A PROFOUND SENSATION. GERMANY'S FEARS. MR ASQUITH'S RENEWED PLEDGE. PRESS COMMENT. • Received March 18, 8.30 a.m. LONDON, March 17. The Navy debate created a profound sensation throughout the country. The "Daily News" reluctantly supports the estimates. It argues that the entente between Great Britain, Prance and Russia, dominates the European situation, and explains Germany's fears. "Meanwhile," says the "News," "disastrous competition m:ans to us an increase of taxation, p:)Fsibl,y beggaring social reform." The "Daily Chronicle" declares that the question is no longer one of whether Ministers are justified in proposing so much, but rather whether they are justified in not proposing more. "The Times" notes Mr Asquith's renewed pledge, and hints that this may ultimately entail the enlarging of the present estimates. It adds:— "German dockyards and factories are working night and day, the Government in some cases paying 25 per cent, above the original estimaets."

Mr Asquith has stated:—"We believe it to be our duty to maintain our standard of relative naval strength, and the standard necessary for this country to maintain is one that will give us complete command of the sea against any reasonable combination." He accepted the TwoPower standard of naval strength as meaning a prpeonderance of 10 per . cent., over the comoined strength in capital ships of the next two strongest Powers.

A *RANK STATEMENT. WHERE AUSTRIA COMES IN. Received March 18, 8.50 a.m. LONDON, March 17. The "Westminster Gazette" says: —"The Government's frank statement regarding Germany's acceleration in the rate of warship building wilLensure unanimity among its supporter." » The "Pall Mall Gazette" says:— "Austria is laying down Dreadnoughts, and Austria's navy of che future must be reckoned as part of the German." DEBATE IN-HOUSE OF COMMONS. Received March 18, 9.35 p.m. LONDON, March 18. The profound effect caused in London by the Naval statement is being re-echoed in the provinces. The Unionist papers insist on the extra Dreadnoughts being put on the slips immediately. Speaking in the House of Commons turing the debate'en the Naval Estimates, Mr Arthur Lee, Conservative member for the Fareham Division of Hants, said that the nation would demand the Government to at once order eight Dreadnoughts. The number of men employed at Krupps works in Germany had increased by 38,000 last year. AH the trouble was due to the Government not carrying out the programme of Lord Cawdor (First Lord of the Admiralty, March to December, 1905). Mr A. G. C. Harvey (Liberal member for Rochdale) announced that he did not propose to move the amendment of. the Reduction of Armaments Committee that any increase in the Navy Estimates is inexpedient. Dr. T. J. Macnamara (Liberal member for the North Division of Camberwell) dwelt, on the value of pre Dreadnought battleships. Messrs J. Dillon J(Nationalist) and A. Henderson (Labour M.P.) accused the Government of pandering to panicmongers.

GREAT INTEREST IN G ERMANY. NAVY LEAGUE INCENSED. Received March 18, 9.35 p.m. BERLIN, March 18. The Naval debate has aroused great interest in Germany. The Press, however, are sparing in commsnt. The newspaper "Neuchste Nachughten," the organ of the Navy League, is incensed at Germany informing Britain that she does not intend to hasten her rate of construction. The paper characterises the supplying of this information as a regrettable weakness.

STATEMENT BY GERMAN NAVAL MINISTER. Received March 18, 10.53 p.m. BERLIN, March. 18. Admiral Von Tirpitz (Naval Minister), speaking in the Reichstag, statqd that in the autumn of 1912 Germany would have only If! Dreadnoughts, and Invinciblcs. He did not know on what grounds the Hon. R. McKenna arrived at the larger figure. No proposal for disarmament had been made to Germany.