GRAVELY VITAL.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 42, 18 August 1908, Page 7

GRAVELY VITAL.

BRITAIN'S FOREIGN POLICY:

PEEMATUBE AQUATION. A GERMAN HINT. By Telegraph.— Press Association.— Copyright. (Received August 18, 8.5 a.m.) BERLIN, 17th August. The journal Suddeutsche Reicbs. •Correspondenz, the organ of Prince/ Bulow, Imperial Chancellor, hints thai; a premature agitation for disarmaments is calculated to impede British and Gernman efforts to understand thopaimajof/ each other's naval policy. SPEECH BY MR. WINSTON! CHURCHDLL. » WAR BETWEEN GERMANY ;ANft BRITAIN. "IT IS ALL NONSENSE." LONDON, lTtfi August. The Right Hon. Winston Chußclrill, President of the Board of Trade, speaking on Saturday at Swansea, strongly deprecated the attempte that were beingmade by some people in Britain to spread a belief that war between Great , Britain and Germany .was inevitable. "It is all nonsense," Mr. Churchill declared. "Britain is an island, and no Government which is likely to be in, power will ever depart in any degree from such a naval policy as will secure the country effectively from invasion. In the second place, there is no collision, between the primary interests of Britain and Germany in any quarter of the, globe. The Germans are among our very best customers.*' Regarding the apprehension existing in some circles that the colonies were seizable, Mr. Churchill said nothing could alter the destinies of great communities like those of Canada, Australia, South Africa, and India. The colonies were pursuing their own destinies, which, would remain unaltered in the future, whatever might be the result of anj/ '.struggle with Europe. ' After ridiculing the ideas of rtwaigrearij countries fighting for what remained fc, viz., tropical planiatipns, and sura/} .scattered coaling stations, Mr. Church: (Si v concluded by urging that the grantij^j of Home Ikile for Ireland .would be^a. great act of statecraft. THE TWO-POWER STANDARI?^ INTERESTS OF BR-ITAJtH'S. DEFENCE./ WHAT MR. LLOYD-GEORGE ' SUIJD^ LONDON, 17th Auguist. Details 'furnished of the intr^turiew -which a correspondent obtained ~mtßh tbe. Right Hon. D. Lloyd-George, Chancellor ,of the Exchequer, now on a vfyiit to Carlsbad, show that he upheld-thfl .maintenance of the two-Power stan<3iard in-, the interests of Britain's defence. The Chancellor of the E3n.-heqner pointed out, however, that foajmdablo. difficulties had been settled by tffle establishment of friendly rekrfaaij.s with Prance and Russia. This fact Suggested. *the possibility / that an andtnrstanding might be arrived at with Gcamany in 4he direction of limiting fnitoire naval programmes, so far as they- Xjalated to. the building of new ships, eajd^.arrang-,, .'ing the proportion 'for- each. , • PRESS -COMMENSJS. INEXPERIENCED POLITICIANS. A LOAN REPOBT. (Received August 18, Sas a.m.) LONDON, 171* August. The Times says : — "Briton's foreign ■ policy is too gravely vital to be removed from th,e high plane of statesmanlike guidance by inexpei&enced politicians." The Standard accuses Mr. LloydGeorge and Mr. Churchill of assuming charge of f oreigns affairs ,wifch a view -to. -ousting Sir E, Grey. The Telegraph Bays: — "The Goyernment is considering the offer of financiers to find one hundred million pounds on , nominal terms to meet the necessities of itho fleet without disorganising the .annual Budgets." This offer of aid has, fbeen caused by the renewed competition jin .naval armaments abroad, and was intended to show Britain's determination to maintain the two-Power standard. The revenue would meet normal expenditure, and the loan fund -special requirements. The Telegraph adds that an influential section of the Cabinet sup- , ports acceptance of the offer. The Daily News utterly discredits the naval loan, report, and says.: — "After speeches as to the folly of a navy scare, 'the >counrry would not tolerate an increase in taxation to meet a navy panic." It was stated that in an interview at Carlsbad, Mr. LloydQeorge had discussed tho prospects of an entente between Great Britain and Germany, and publicity was given to a rumour that the Chancellor of the Exchequer intended to visit Berlin and the Black Forest residence of Admiral yon Tirpitz, the German Minister of the Navy.