BRITAIN'S NEED

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 77, 31 March 1909, Page 5

BRITAIN'S NEED

FLEET TO BE RE-BUILT.

GERMANY'S GREAT PROGRAMME. THE COUNTRY AROUSED. A NAVAL BY-ELECTION. (By Cable.—Press Association—Copyright., LONDON, March 30. In the House of Commons to-day, Mr. A. H. Lee (Civil Lord of the Admiralty in the Balfour Ministry) moved a vote of censure on the Government in the following terms:— " That the immediate provision for battleships of the newest type proposed by the Government is insufficient to secure the safety of the Empire." The mover denied that there was a public panic, but it was only natural that there should be acute anxiety as the result of Mr. Asquith's speech in the House on the 16th mat. It was absurd to talk of Germany's treachery. Safety lay in refusing to be influenced by promises not to accelerate the building of battleships. Diplomatic declarations might, he pointed out, become obsolete in a week, whereas it would take two years to construct a battleship. A GRAVE SITUATION. Sir Edward Grey (Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs), who replied, commended the absence ol party feeling in Mr. Lee's speech, but the Opposition ought to have deferred its censure resolution until July, when the shipbuilding vote would be considered, and more information enabling them to form a right judgment would be available. The House and country were perfectly right to view the new situation created by the German programme as grave. When her programme was complete Germany would have the most powerful fleet in the world, and that imposed on Britain the necessity for rebuilding her whole fleet. The element of uncertainty was when this must be done. The first necessity therefore was to take stock of the plant of the country. That the Admiralty had done. The British capacity for building hulls and propelling machinery, and the manufacture of the largest guns, was considerably in excess of the German. The doubtful pom' was the comparative capacity to provide gun-mountings. The Admiralty had now arranged with manufacturers to provide such an increase that in a few months there would be a similar advance in this branch. POSSIBLE CAUSES OF CONFLICT Dealing with the diplomatic relations between the two countries. Sir Edward Grey insisted on the good results of King Edward's recent visit to Berlin. Two things might produce a conflict—firstly, any attempt by Britain to isolate Germany; secondly, the isolation of Britain in an attempt by any Continental Power to dominate or dictate a policy for the Continent, but there was no reason to apprehend either contingency. European Powers were spending half their revenue in preparations to kill each other. The extent of this expenditure had become a satire and reflection upon civilisation, but Britain must bo prepared to defend her national existence under the conditions imposed in our own generation. He was glad that the colonies, such as New Zealand, had recognised that their national existence was one with ours in this matter. GERMANY'S DREADNOUGHTS. ''The only possible basis for an agreement for the limitation of armaments," he proceeded, "is an acknow--1 ledgment of British naval superiority. In January I made otir information regarding the acceleration of the battleship programme known to Germany, adding that she must not be surprised if the British Estimates weie increased. Germany made a verbal but quite definite declaration that she would have thirteen Dreadnoughts at the end of 1912. That I disposes of the extreme apprehension regarding the position in 1910-11." As to the question of the limitation of the next programme, he said that national security would have the benefit of any doubt. Mr. Asquith added little to Sir Edward Grey's speech. He concluded with a strong appeal to his supporters for a vote of confidence. Mr. Balfour, in winding up the debate, argued that the margin of security was too small. MOTION REJECTED. The motion was rejected by 353 votes to 134. Lieutenant C. W. Bellairs (a retired naval officer), and Captain KincaidSmith voted- in favour of the motion. The Labourites voted against it. The Nationalists abstained from voting. The House was crowded, and a sensation was produced by Sir Edward Grey's j statements. I