The Press. THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 1908. ENGLAND AND GERMANY.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13062, 12 March 1908, Page 6

The Press. THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 1908. ENGLAND AND GERMANY.

Tho Kaiser's indiscretion in approaching privately a British Minister regarding the naval policy of Great Britain has had one good effect. It j has stiffened the back of public opinion j in Englaind as to the absolute necessity ■ of maintaining tho supremacy of our j Navy, and the Government, which was j Biispected of lukcwarmnrt-is in this mat- , ter, has deemed it expedient to make ; a very explicit statement of its in ten- j tion to maintain the two-Power sta.n- * dard. Replying lo Mr Balfour. Mr i Asquith, it will be seen, stated without i any reservation that the country must j ■maintain "an unavailable -supremacy." The two-Power standard, ho said, was '•good, practicable, and workable":! on tha', there was no difference of j opinior. He admitted that in regard i to ves-'iels of the Dreadnought type, if J Germany carried out her plan to the | letter and if Great Britain did nothing I in the way of new construction in 1000, j Germany in 1011 would havo thirteen | first-class battleships to our twelve. ; "I3ut. v he added, '-without forecasting j '•the programme- for 1009, he could say J '•without the slightest hesitation that " if they found a reasonable pro- j "liability of the Gorman programme ■ '•being realised. the Government j "would feel it their duty to j *• provide. and would provide. a j "sufficient number of ships at such a . " rate of laying down that hy November, j '1011. the superiority of (lor- , "many, whuh Mr Balfour fore- j "shadowed. would not bo an i ••actual fact."' The annoiin<-ement • was received with loud cheers from the ; Opposition, and Mr Asquith impressive ; ly added :—"That- is the policy of 1 he i "Government; it remains on record.! "and ought to reassure the House.; '• We do not intend to bo left behind." | This is the satisfactory Ministerial i deliverance that- has tome under o*,jrj notice for some time past. Both to.bs' ot the House in Kngland are now cv*.- • dent.iy detormmtd. t<>r patriotic rea-| sons, to keep up tin. strength of the] Navy to the two-Power tst and ard, and \ in this they are strongiy supported by puhlie opinion. It i> not th.. first time that the German Emperor- v. hen the English people seemed lulhd to sleep ni sweet oblivion ef dangers threatening in the future—luus suddenly roused them out of their s!umbei-s by .some unexpected action on his part. It almost seems as if he is bound to be the true friend of Great Britain in spite <>f himself. In the present instance the

position has been clearly defined, and it t ..\ *;i be (".'inianv'.- own fault il r-'ne d"es ; j i,.i; iindersland it. She has eha ilriiuo! I i i ! ..■ii- riirnt i" supremacy on ; lie .-.-a ; we. . , i.;. the mouth of our chosen repie-.-u-' | i at. *yes. have declared tha-1-.we intend j; that t'u.it supreii'te-v shall be mam-,. tamed. It m.-.-.i rein.-iius :., be seen , i whether to-rinany will push on ,'ier ; 1.-j'. al prepaid lon.s with ihe fever'sll iiaste .-.>!•• has show n ..! late ;. t* ,• her hi r >iie will s;, t oken off and w v*. :. r .i iii'-'e eonvfuient seison. wlien. < maybe. til's national viLTiianeo s':a'i ..;,'•■ n;.,re have h04.il lu'.ied to sleep.