THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 1912. THE BRITISH NAVY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10607, 13 April 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 1912. THE BRITISH NAVY.

Great (Britain 'has secured a man in I Mr (Winston Churchfll -who, as First , Lord ef the Admiralty, will either intake or 1 break things. Probably I there is no man in the British Empire .whose advancement has been so rapid a& thtiit of Mr Churchill. A few years [hack, at the outset of tho Boer War, he was practically an.unknown quantity. Gradually he came into the ! .public light, and swiftly he has ascended ithe ladder, until to-day he stands ■'out ais tlie one man whom the Powers will have to reckon with as a force in himself. Tho British Navy has for centuries 'been regarded as the strength and backbone of the lMion. This Navy, in the hamds of a pusillanimous Administratdon, was in danger of falling to pieces. Public opinion [ was aroused, and the one man. in the Ministry who vr,w of strong

personality, was entrusted with the task of preventing disaster. Since lie became iFirst Lord of the Admiralty, Mr Winston. Churchill hue displayed such energy and capacity in the naval athninisitration of the country that he lias gained the plaudits of the most • bitter opponents of the Government. Discussing the Glasgow speech, the London Times said:— "The great feature- of the i-pccvh is the strong, firm note of patriotism pervading it. The country will observe with the greatest satisfaction that, whatever Mr Churchill's previous views may have been, now that he is First Lord Of the Admiralty lie recognises as fully as any one can des.'re the vital importance of naval supremacy to this country. Our existence, he said, depends on 'naval power. The whole fortunes of our race and Empire, all 'the treasure accumulated during so many centuries of sacrifice and achievement would perish and be swept away if our naval supremacy were to be endangered. That is the phi in '.truth, a& every one knows, though ©very one does not admit it so frankly 1 and fully. Sundry members of Mr Ohm-chill's party do not, though they 'cannot deny it, and they will not relish his uncompromising profession of faith. They will like it the less be- ' cause he declared with great emphasis that it is not only his but the Government's faith. The Government, ihe jiaid, are resolved to maintain the naval-supremacy which we now enjoy. "The Prime Minister and his colleagues without exception are prepared to maintain it." The emphasis could hardly' be greater. Mr .Churchill is 'evidently convinced' that the road to popularity is not by way of professing preference for a little England. He ' went a good deal further, and told 1 the Olyde men of business that we 'shall maintain our supremacy no matter what it costs. We can afford it, he gaid, quite easily, and the Government are prepared to face the expenditure if necessary. We have the money and we shall build as many ships as may be required. He drew a rosy picture of our present state of preparedness, and claimed that at every pV>int and in every detail we have the situation welH in hand, in regard to iships and men as well as money. In short, his text was, "We've got the islhips, we've got the men, and we've got the money too." The emphatic assurance (that the more we are pressed, the greater will be the margin of superiority on which we shall insist, will be speedily welcomed and endorsed by the country. The policy-which MrChurchilllias announced' is not provocative or intended to be provocative,- but it is a warning that we mean to keep our place.