THE GERMAN NAVY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9663, 30 November 1909, Page 7

THE GERMAN NAVY.

The London "Spectator" points out that it bus been reproached for saying. that-German ships are built to fight British, ships, as though it had said something quite indelicate:— "Yet Germany intends them, of course, for that purpose. We do not mean for a moment, and have never asserted, that Germany contemplates an unprovoked attack upon us. Yet if her navy is increased to such a strength that it passes that of al! other navies except ours, it is plainly meant to engage ours if necessary. To suppose otherwise is to suppose that the German navy is composed, not of fighting ships, but of fioatif.g museums or excursion steamers, and we do not imagine that Germans woultt think we were paying them a compliment if we supposed that. But that would lead to the employment of the German navy against the British navy. It is not even necessary to assume a war. Suppose a dispute arose between Britain and Germany in which our conscience allowed of no concession —a dispute about what seemed to us a matter of ordinary justice and right dealing—and Germany threatened us with the ultimo ratio, we

should have lu3t all our power for good if we had already thrown away our powers for negotiating—which is the navy. If the German navy becomes even equal to ours 'on paper,' our command of the sea will be gone. In the exchange of every diplomatic Note the German navy would be potentially fighting ours." It is folly, the "Spectator" adds, to delude ourselves into thinking that the German navy would'be used differently.