THE NAVAL CRISIS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3151, 31 March 1909, Page 5

THE NAVAL CRISIS.

CABLE NEWS. United Presa Association—By Electric Telegraph Copyright.

"MISPLACED GENEROSITY." A PEACE SOCIETY'S REGRET 7 Received March 30, 10.20 a.m. SYDNEY, March 30. A meeting of the Peace Society adopted a resolution deploring the public excitement with regard to the British and German navies, regretting the misplaced generosity of certain citizens, and supporting the action of Mr Fisher (Federal Prime Minister) in refusing to involve the people of the Commonwealth in presenting a Dreadnought to Britain. CHALLENGING THE MONROE DOCTRINE. A POSSIBILITY. Received March 30, 11 a.m. LONDON, March 29. The "Spectator" discusses the possibility of a German navy aimed j» challenging the Monroe Doctrine in relacing to German interests in South America; hence the building of battleships for Brazil.

THE CENSURE DEBATE. A SENSATIONAL SPEECH. Received March 30, 10.30 p.m. LONDON, March 30. Mr A. H. Lee, Conservative M.P. for the Fareham Dividon of HantF, moved his censure motion. He spoke in moderate terms, and denied that there was a public panic. There was only natural acute anxiety, the result of Mr Asquith's speech on March 6th last. It was absurd *o talk of Germany's treachery. Safety lay in refusing to be influenced by a promise not to accelerate building. A diplomatic declaration might become obsolete in a week, where it would take two years to construct a battleship. Sir Edward Grey, Foreign Secretary, in replying, commended the absence of party feeling. But, he said, the opposition ought-to have deferred the censure motion until July next, when the shipbuilding vote would be considered and more information from which they could form a right judgment available. The House and country were perfectly right to view the new situation created by the German programme as grave. When her program .ie was complete Germany would have 33 Dreadnoughts—the most powerful 'fleet in the world. That imposed on Britain the necessity of rebu'lding the whole of her fleet. The speech caused a sensation in the Hous?, which was crowded. Receive! April 1, 12.10 a.m. LONDON, MarrhSO. Continuing his speech, Sir Ed: Grey said the first necessity therefore was to take the stock of the plant in the country. That t'ie Admiralty had done. The British capacity for building hulls, propelling machinery, and the manufacture of the largest guns was considerably in excess of Germany. The doubtful point was whether Britain possessed the capacity to provide gun mountings as quickly as Germany. Dealing with diplomatic relations Sir E. Grsy insisted on the good results of King Edward's visit to Berlin. Tne censure motion was defeated by 353 votes to 134.