The Press. THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 1909. A CLEAR ISSUE.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13376, 18 March 1909, Page 6

The Press. THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 1909. A CLEAR ISSUE.

Those writers who have persistently warned Great Britain of the peril facing her across the North Sea must feel a certain sad satisfaction to-day, for the debate in the House of Commons recorded in our cable news js a complete justification of their attitude. They have been called "Jingoes" and "alarmists" by the Radical Press, they have been accused of wishing to embroil England in war with Germany, and they have provided material for "Little England" humourists, but to-day tho voice of tho "small navy" man must bo weak indeed. It would be difficult to exaggerate the gravity of tho situation disclosed by the debate. . The lato &'r Henry Campbell-Bannerman's proposals for limitation of armaments are blown away like a puff of smoke, and Mr Lloyd-George's ideal of a Budge* that will finance social reform at the expense of national safety has vanished. The Liberal Govennaenifc is faced with a problem tha* it cannot ignore, on any pretext whatever. The naval supremacy of England is seriously threatened. According to the First Lord of the Admiralty, Germany will have thirteen Dreadnoughts completed by 1911 to Groat Britain's sixteen. This is serious enough, but Mr MoKenna went on to say that by April of tho following year, Germany might have four more huge battleships completea'. Moreover, and this is extremely important, he admitted that the arrangements for obtaining material for new ships in Germany were so good that the resources of British firms were taxed to retain supremacy in rapidity and volume of construction. Mr Asquith went further, and admitted that Germany could build as quickly as Great Britain. One of the greatest solaces of the British naval economist is thus removed. " Never mind if we "do get a littlo bit behind," has always been the argument. " We can always " pull up when we like, because we can " build more quickly." The Government has been warned for somo time that this is a fallacy, and now it practically admits that it is so. Mr Balfour went so far as to say that it was no longer a question of a two-Power standard, but of a ono-Power standard in ships of tho first class, supremacy in which seemed to be slipping from our grasp. Fortunately, the situation appears to havo been realised in time—though only just in time. Ministers, to their credit, realise its gravity, but unfortunately are only realising now tho truth of what unprejudiced observers told them months and even years ago, that Germany has naval aspirations that must be answered effectively by England if she is to retain .command of the sea. Th© Government's answer does not strike us as being very effective. It might, it is true, be a great deal worse, but it might well bo much more convincing. Relying on Germany's declaration that she docs not intend to accelerate further her naval programme, th© Government will adhere to .tho programme outlined in tiho

Estimates, and if Germany does not adhere to her statement, there wiM be time during th© year to make the necessary provision for more ships. The fact apparently remains that before long Germany may, if Mr Balfour's estimate is correct, have seventeen Dreadnoughts to our fourteen.

Mr Balfour was perfectly right in saying that never in modern history has Great Britain faced, so dangerous a situation. For the first time she is confronted by a strong, virile, united, ambitious, and highly educated nation, strong on the sea es well as on the land, whose sons have the naval instinct, whose ambitions are apparently unbounded, and whose fast-growing commerce provides it with the sinews of war. The danger of Napoleon was, after all, largely the danger of one man; this is the danger of a great people who see England; on the path they wish to tread, and are apparently determined to put her on one side. In the presence of that danger—now so clear to all —there should bo no difference of opinion among English politicians and. people as to England's policy. There is only one safe one.