NAVAL ESTIMATES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 28 March 1913, Page 5

NAVAL ESTIMATES.

AN IMPORTANT STATEMENT,

BY MR WINSTON CHURCHILL. A3: APPEAL TO THE NATIONS. (Received Last Night, 10.15 o'clock.) LONDON, March 27. The Right Hon. Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, in his naval statement, stated that the estimates would have been substantially higher, but for the congestion in the ship-yards. If this was relieved, it would be necessary to .submit supplementary estimates later in the year. The latest German naval l.aw, and the Mediterranean requirements, entailed a. further increase. A PITIFUL FOLLY. "We are perhaps best able," he said, "to bear the strain of acute rivalries. Although the maintenance of our naval security is a first charge on the Empire's resources, the pitiful folly that is now occurring throughout the world is so patent to the meanest intelligence, that concerted effort to arrest it lis .surely the first- [ of our international objects." NAVAL HOLIDAY. Mr Winston Churchill repeated lr'« last year's suggestion for a, naval holiday. He said the proposal was a simple one, and should not lead' to a.»i 'tr I tdi.ng. It wa}> not an appeal of weakness. He addressed his appeal to all nations, and, with •' profoundest sincerity, to Germany. RELATION'S WITH GERMAY. The British Government welcomed the calm and friendly tone and temper of the recent Geriii.tn naval <\U cuissions. The relations lietween the two countries had sensibly improved, and from the perils an<i anxieties under which Europe had dwelt for these many months, Britain and* Ge.rmany had. drawn the conviction that both 3esired to preserve the paace. "Orr naval policy towards Germany," said the Fiivst Lord, "is based on strength, candour, and simplicity. Both nations must be perfectly free to purcue a wise naval course. BURDEN TOO HRAVY. The people of Britain, he .said, could not be expected to indefinitely bear the whole burden of the Imperial defence. They we>yo now doing more than their duty to the Fmpiie. If the pressure it ihe derisive theatre continued to grow, it behoved the overseas deminionw to p' ovide their own and the common security by local navies, or, what was more effectual, additions, to tiio Imperial navy, so as to presen-e a world-wide mobility. He regaled the oversea? •ships as additional to the (SO per cent standard: but not additional to the world-wide requirements of the Empire. THE COLONIAL SHIPS, ( rj ' le Admiralty proposed to form the Canadian ships, the Malay and the New Zealand into an Imperial squadron, based on Gibraltar. They would occasionally visit the Domlii or;« to show that the Hag was n>adv operate at a danger-point at 'Kme or abroad. Special facilities would be offere to colonials to man and officer the squadron, which would be strengthened by light cruisers, if any of t-b? dominions saw fit. The dominions would also he encouraged to develop naval lr,v-'cs, and doekya"d> for local flotillas and auxiliaries. A FORECAST.

Mr Winston Ghiuirchill iforecasteu that nine capital diips would be constructed on behalf of the Empire in i 1913. In regard .to 11)14, he had rea- ! son to believe tliat Germany desired to cancel or postpone <that yea r's programme. "As we are laying down four sliips to her two," lie said, "a mutual cessation was clearly not to the disadvantage of Germany. If Britain and German act together for one year, to prevent wasteful, purposeless, and futile folly, the influence will be priceless and measTireless. By the end of the yeair, Britain will have one hundred naval aeroplanes a.n<l over one hundred pilots, or three hundred between the army and navy combined. The aviator expenditure would involve an expenditure of £750,000. The Admiralty, said Mil* Churchill, was preparing to equip first-class liners to repel the attacks of foreign merchantmen. While regretting the throwback to the Admiralty owing to the delay in the ratification of the Marconi agreement, it would be necessary to devise other arrangements. FURTHER ACTION IF NECESSARY In concluding, Ma* Winston Churchill said:''' Great Britain caniioit afford to allow any naval power to approach so "nearly a<s to deflect lis from our political action by naval pressure. ' Sncli a situation would inevitably lead to, war." He pointed out the gjrave danger of a too narrow safety The r Government, lie believed, had.provided sufficient; but if they revised their Judgment, they would not hesitate to seek further Parliamentary authority. j AN AMENDMENT MOVED. ! - >Mr P. E. Moirell, Liberal M.P. I Burnley, moved an amendment, "That colonial co-operation should be fr>r .the approval of Parliament before its acceptance."Mr. Churchill stated-tha* Mr Borden, when in England;.foad -never requested naval JlSft'stance. nor had to (Mir 'Ohua'clpVi) any knowledge of what Ml* Borden intended to propose to the Canadian Parliament. "Tife amendment was . thereupon withdrawn.

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(United - rut Ass. elation —BU El*ctfie Telegraph—Copyright.)