BRITAIN'S NAVY

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10189, 15 March 1911, Page 5

BRITAIN'S NAVY

CABLE NEWS

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LONDON, March 14,

' Speaking in the House of Commons in deprecation of the comparisons which were being made between the German and British navies, Mr A. Ponsonby, Liberal member for Stirling Burghs, urged the abandonment of the policy which was founded on the mischievous scare of 1909.

Lord Charles Beresford contended that the British fleet was a margin too small. Ho suggestedamidst; cheep, ;the: possibility of inducing,.. English-speaking , nation& to unite peace. If that were p'ossible we he said, reduce'*our armaments. Mean-' while the expenditure must continue. He urged that the present estimates were inadeouatp to secure an unassailable position at sea.

, The Right Hon. R.- McKenna, rlfyst. Lbfd( of the Admiralty, , assured tjie; ' supporters .ojfv,the motion,; in favour, g£ : .'■■ international v of jva rlike preparations th? obifect of-constructing large and costly? ships was to secure the Empire, againfet all contingencies. "Wo should;'* he said, "have the freedom of the ocean highway?.-. This is impossible unless o"r- navy is" supreme as agairifct >any 'fn-eign n avv and any reason able , pro-b-'hta combination we might havo to eet''si.fl gle-hiwided.'' .He contended th:it .if, \vsij? impossible r to:avoid4;:referr once t.cKthe gro\yth of ;the .'^eriß.an ■ rimj£nd«ientiv to sind; 1908, which ships and German,. p.nj>.v£T r ''eS'tlrtffttiP!^ensuing year'.':' i justifyihg his reference^to'l9o9, which had'ted to the building of'four ' ships. Mr McKenna re-' marked/that, although his -information concerning dates was wrong, that concerning the size and cost of the ships was right.: f

" -Mir' McKenna. continuing, said he .'\Vrts unwilling, in, 1909 ( rwhen he:.4as finally aware that Germany, though not accelerating, was, builcling, greater, anjJ* stronger ships, to siayanything calculated to cause a- s6brs. The situation was now changed : in ; GerShips thore areJ ; miidl larger than were previously _ Savie given bur answer to them. sequ-mtlv, the time for a'scare gone. The answer , took the shap^f-of improved • On^icand'tlie- Lion-, aflfotdmg abl6 margin of "security, inasmuch as-by-ilie spring of 1914 Britain woiild' have- thirty Dreadnoughts against Germany's twenty-one. If. as he had every reason to hope and believe, the. Fleet law w*as not further amended, our estimates for 1912 and .1913 would show a redtiction; "but.'!. He added, amid Opposition cheers, "we cannot >otegse„ourselves to any until we know what are the developments of fbroitrn navies."

The Hon. A. >T. Bnlfouxv he did 'rot-think th<> Government overrated the I possible da tigers. of tlie situation He fearetl-'-that- the estmiates: erred. iri : proposing too . few- battleships '.find cruisers. After characterising Miessrs .•Wilson's and Hamilton's views,..as dangerous. bo inquired whether? the Government • adhered to. the 1 policy of t>vo;. keels to one. •

t Sir Edward Grer j:f>Q]ied, reiteratim* v|'b® Hon.. : ;;'AMENDMENT' ; Sir Edward Grey cbncWded®|is speech, ,nmidst tremendous,' •'ffar&tjr, .of,, .simultaneous iriternatifwiai» restriction of warlike preparations,; wlpch was carried by 276 votes to 56: