THE NAVAL DEBATE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 29 March 1913, Page 5

THE NAVAL DEBATE.

NORTH SEA PERIL. THE MEAL DANGER. (Received Last Night, 9.40 o'clock.) LONDON. March 28. in tln> Hous© of Commons, during. the Naval debate, Mi- A. H. Lee, Unionist member for Hants, said: *"W» •are too often obsessed of the North Sea peril, and have not paid sufficient attention to the trade routes of the outlying 'Empire. We are now -running a grave risk in concentrating; our legions to defend the heart of the Empire. The safety of the outer marches is almost as important as the safety of the North Sea. , The margin of safety is too. small. Two* 'keels to one is imperative." PVljr Winston, Churchill admitted that the battleship New Zealand was. included in the vessels composing the sixteen to ten standard of s.uperior'ity ,but h e said, the other dominion/a gifts were not included. •Lord Charles JBeresford commended the arming of merchantmen, -which,. together would be worth more than fifteen Dreadnoughts. The real danger, in h,is opinion, was not invasion,, hiit starvation. Mr Keir Hardie declared that they were not playing the game fairly with .Germany by omitting the colonial ships from the sixty per cent standard.