ARMED MERCHANTMEN.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 307, 12 September 1908, Page 7

ARMED MERCHANTMEN.

Shipping people in this country, remarks the London “ Telegraph,” are not a little interested in the story from Germany —since contradicted in a variety of ways —to the effect that the Imperial Government has in its mind to take over the fleets of the Ham-burg-American line and the Norddeutscher Lloyd. On the face of it such a proceeding would be a little ridiculous, and,the semiofficial contradictions which followed hard on the announcement were, therefore, a little unnecessary. Nobody on this side of the North Sea, at any rate, believes the story in that form. Quite a large number profess, however, notwithstanding Herr Ballin’s denials, to see in it a reflection of the Teutonic mind working round to the view which prevailed here when the British Government lent to the Cunard Company the money for the Lusitania and Mauretania. In this country we had ceased to develop the Atlantic liner for speed. Only at the Admiralty was there a hankering after high speeds on the Atlantic. The explanation of this was not difficult to discover. All the Atlantic records were held by German-built and German owned liners, and such a state of things was inconsistent with Britain’s eminence as a naval Power. It was essential to the scheme of naval defence that the fastest armed merchantmen in the world should belong to us or alternatively, that no foreign Power should have faster armed merchantmen than we had. Not only had Germany faster armed merchantmen, but she kept on _ repeating them. The historic arrangement with the Cunard Company was the cure for the trouble suggested and approved. Our friends in Germany cannot do anything else. Their need is for armed merchantmen not less fast than the big turbine Cunarders, and the first cost of such vessels is far beyond what the economy of an ordinary commercial undertaking can stand. The German naval authorities must pay for what they want, just as Whitehall had to pay. They must pay, and, conceivably, there is no easier way to do so than by advancing the money to the shipping companies at a low rate of interest.