THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, MAY 4, 1912. THE BRITISH NAVY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10627, 4 May 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, MAY 4, 1912. THE BRITISH NAVY.

The vigorous speech by Mr Churchill on introducing the Navy Estimates in the Houee of Commons recently should leave no room for doubt as to the determination of the British Government to maintafiji our position alt sea. It has •already been intimated that the present Estimates are provisional, since rfthe 'intentions of Germany are not yet SuDly known. Mr Clhurdhill pointed out that the Biilidi programme must' (necessarily depend .on the German pruposaJe. In present conditions, and so long as Germany does not exceed, the programme laid down in the German :GS r avy Act, the British- Admiralty will Imaintaiiiii a superiority of 60 per cent, in, battleships. That is to say, for each ten German? ship® it will build sixteen, .which is virtually three to two, or the figure for which German, opinion has been clamouring. But if the German programme is augmented, then the British Admiralty will lay down two additional keek for each additional one that Germany begins. On- the iotlher hand, Mr Churchill made Germany this offer, that if she. diminishes her programme,, there -will be a corresponding reduction in the British proposals. That the British JYtwy must possess a large margin of safety was a strong .point well mad? in Ma- Churchill's speech. 1 hat mar!giln is necessary, he stated, for two. reasons. In the first place, the British JVitvy -mu'st bo prepared to meet the next strongest (navy at any momoat selected by itiltot other navy. On the average, as lie showed, some 2-5 per cent of. our ships would b ft unavailable, -while the foreign navy wlilich cam select its hour for attack would place its entire force in line. We shall- never attack, ifor reasons on which Mr Churchill dwelt. Even if we isupnns'e the British Government lot-

sully ohlmouii ef all moral eousideraIt' Boas, it has nothing to gain by defliveuEng a. Midden .Wow, a& it lias no army to tlnro that blow h'.mie. A 'second reason for "bur large margin of i s&afcty" is tthat coir danger is greater. ! j Wo dt<pend on tho eea for our food

•and our verv existence. Xo other tPo-ncr is in a sttrb'lar position. TV only question is whether a margin of .'i to 2 a garnet Germany is sufficient in view cf the German aUiainccfi.. In the pj\i?ent year the- first Austrian and the firs* Ita/.iaii Dreadnoughts I iviill run their Insula in the Me'di terra - mean. By 19To or before, three- two j Powers will dis-poM) of eight Dreadnoughtl?., and stlwt ic a force which cannot bo ignored. Moreover, under our agreement with the I>ouiinions, one Briiii.s'h .Dreadnought -m-ust be de•spatehed to the Far East in company with tilie two' F-lii.pß presented by Au«-Mtni'r-a and Xew Zealand. In view eJ ! these needs, the "margin of safety" ' seems to have been out very fine. But |wo are (given- an explicit assurance that the Admiralty will answer for the security of the Empire, in the present and the near future, on the present proposals, and with that we may rest satisfied, tlttmgfo the standard of | two keels to one must remain the ■ideal—(the only absolutely safe standyard. Many important reforms were I indicated.: "l»y Mr Churchill. The ;<streugt<h of the fleet in full eommi&sinon is to be increased, and the battle ; <&q.uaditoti6 are to be re-organised with .Jttihc object of attaining a greater con<centratson of force.than inutile past. This is a most sahitary Olia'n'ge in the •right direction. Special attention is I to be .paid ■fto the air .service, and Mr CnaireHlil' looks forward, to a time ( near at hand when* fligluts of aer>planee will he attached to each battle ' cqaKflaVon.. Mr Churchill's programme ♦makes clear to all the world that the •British Government meditates nb aggression. His -proposals are for defence itdlone.