THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 1909. ENSURING PEACE SUPREMACY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9559, 4 August 1909, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 1909. ENSURING PEACE SUPREMACY.

Che decision of the Imperial Governii3nt to lay down the four contingent Dreadnoughts in 1910 is now ascribed to the naval activity of stljer Powers, Austria and Italy being specially mentioned by Mr M'Kenna in the latest debate in the House of Commons. Although the Government cteprecated any comparison with the shipbuilding programmes of other nations, it was forced to make this comparison, in order to explain the expansion of its own programme. It ia admitted now that England was nearly caught napping by Germany; but the awakened nation will surely see to it that, while Great Britain is ever ready for peace it will be: equally prepared for war. The four "contingent" ships are irrespective of the 1910 programme, and independent, also, of , the colonial offer of naval assistance. It may be tha the programme even now doos noi go far enough to meet the design; of Germany and Austria, and, per haps, Italy. In order to do I his with certainty, it may yetbeneefs sary to accept the far-reaching proposals of Lord Charles Beresford but Mr Asquith's declaration tin the Government is determined [t< maintain the present and futur< supremacy of Britain on the sea is i pledge calculated to restore confi dence, even in quarters where it ha; been most seriously shaken by what looked like a Ministerial intention t< trust too much to luck and the gooc faith of Germany. Having given thi: assurance, the extent to which th< Government observes it should b< quite easily measured. The Britisl public and tha world at large know what Italy and Austria, as well af Germany, are doing, in the construe tion of Dreadnoughts. Famous a; Germany is for keeping nationa secrets, even she cannot builc Dreadnoughts on the sly, and, hav ing counted the forces which raaj be expected to range themnelvef against Great Britain, it is the plair obligation of the Imperial Government to provide a force with a s"bstsntial margin over that of its rivals. There is no other policj ppssible for England. Those wh< seem disposed to stress the cost o] such a policy should remember thai for national existence no sacrific< is too great. The struggle now ir progress is a sorry enough com mentary on civilisation, but the re sponsibility does not lie with land. So far as she is concerned, the door is still open for an international understanding in the direc tion of restricting armaments.