THE NAVAL CRISIS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3166, 17 April 1909, Page 5

THE NAVAL CRISIS.

MR CHURCHILL'S SPEECH. PRESS COMMENT. GENERAL CHORUS OF CENSURE. I Received April 16, 8.40 a.m. LONDON, April'ls. The newspapers severely comment on Mr Churchill's placing among "stupid and vicious errors" the attempt to measure the strength of the JNavy only in Dreadnoughts. They declare that this is an attack on Mr Asquith and Mr M'Kenna. Mr Churchill's -further statement, that men count first and then guns, is also condemned as implying .that, having a fine body of sailors, it is needless to bother about a particular class of ships. The "Times" charges Mr Churchill with obstinately pressing his views at all hazards, and obstructing the Cabinet's decision on vital questions. The "Standard" says Mr Churchill throws his leaders over. The "Morning Post" declares that Mr Churchill, having failed in his jfifForts to impair the naval strength o.f the Empire, seeks to achieve that result by other methods. "AN EXCESSIVE PROVISION." Received April 16, 10.10 p.m.LONDON, April 16. The "Westminster Gazette," commenting on Mr Churchill's letter, assumes that the battleships given by the colonies will be an addition to thosejconstructed from the Home resources. "This would be an excessive provision," says the paper. "While the country welcomes the offer of the colonies, there is no reason that these should lead us to build a fleet larger than is required for safely.'

THE COMMONWEALTH NAVAL POLICY. MR FISHER REPLIES TO COMMENTS. Receievd April 16, 11.25 p.m. BRISBANE, April 16. Mr Fisher (Federal Premier), replying to comments on the naval policy, said that if the people of the Commonwealth wanted the Government to present a Dreadnought to Uritain they would have? to provide another Government to do it. His idea was that it would be far better fop all concerned if they spent money on strengthening their own defences. He did no*; wish to say anything about those people who desired to give a Dreadnought, but he declined to commit the Government to such a foolish act. Those who advocated giving a-Dreadnought would have to go to the Mother Country, and ask her to provide the money to doit with. Could anything be more ridiculous. They simply declared to the world that they had neither the money to build baittleships themselves, nor had they dockyards or material for building them. They also had to admit that they had neither the men to man them or trained men to officer them.

COMMONWEALTH NAVAL FORCES. Received April 16, 10.8 p.m. LONDON, April 16. The "Times," on the authority of a well informed correspondent, states that the Commonwealth has cabled to the Admiralty, that in the event of emergency the whole of the naval forces would be placed unreservedly under the Admiralty's direction upon the request of the commander of the Australian station.