THE RUSSIAN NAVY

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14822, 13 November 1913, Page 8

THE RUSSIAN NAVY

Some months ago we pointed out that j the Russian Array was a factor in tho European situation that was hardly receiving its due attention. The same may be said of the Russian Navy, on which, according to a cable message published recently, £150,000,000 is to be spent, spread over a decade. This enormous sum, no doubt, includes sums already voted but not spout; though how much one can only conjecture. Eighty millions wero voted some little time ago—£ls,ooo,ooo for the Black Sea Fleet, £15,000.000 for four Baltic Dreadnoughts, and £50,000,000 for smaller vessels and naval bases. The "Naval Annual" says that the progress made by tho Russian Navy in 1912 was probably more worthy of notice than that of any other foreign navy, and from this aud other sources one gathers j that a resolute attompt is being made to repair th© disasters of the RussoJapanese war, and build up a force much more effective than the weak but j bravely-manned fleet that went to its doom at Tsushima. The new head of tho Navy had won confidence for the Department that had long been lacking. A complete reorganisation of the service and the shipbuilding resources is in progress, and a great improvement in tho quality and morale of the personnel is claimed. "Russian "sailors," says a distinguished Russian officer, "are imbued with the " strongest and heartiest determina- " tion to efface the sad memories of the " last war, and to win the respect of " tbe nation for tho naval uniform." But an immense amount of work has to be done before the Navy will fulfil the requirements of the Government. The existing arsenals and factories, cannot supply ono half the guns and ammunition 'required, and the naval ports will have to be improved at great cost to be mado suitable for the ships of the new programme. The reason given officially for the creation of a great nary in the Baltic is that Russia, independently of the Triple Entente, must secure herself against a combination of Germany, Scandinavia, Den-* mark, and Finland, led by Germany. On the other hand Dr. Sven Hedin is trying to make the Scandinavians believe that this increase in -jnaval power is part of a deliberate plan to get to tho Atlantic by absorbing Norway and Sweden. Bo this as it may, it is un- | likely that the Russian fleet would effect a junction with the French and English fleets in the event of a great European war, for Germany holds the keys of the Baltic. But the knowledge that on her flank is a large and well-equipped fleet, must tend to make war more hazardous for Germany.

In common with all those people and newspapers who are opposed to the Federation of Labour, we have been roundly' abused by the Red Fed. bosses and some of the "Liberal" newspapers as "enemies of the worker." This has not greatly troubled us, for all sensible and.honest people, and they are not the minority that some of our "Liberal" friends think them, but a great majority, have recognised that the Red Fed. bosses aro not only not representative of the workers, but not representative even of tho trade unionists. Sooner or later something was sure to happen to show tho general body of workers the true character of the peoplo who have sought to pose as "Labour's" friends by denouncing the enemies of Labour "bossism." Tho present strike has cleared up the matter in a very satisfactory way, and we may expect a change of tune from that section of the "Liberal" Press which was lately declaring that the Federation was the twin party of "Progress," and that between "Liberalism" and "Red Fedism" there was a complete identity. We give in another column some striking facts concerning Mr W. T. Young and the "Professor" from Milwaukee Both of these gentlemen unreservedly condemned the Federation last year. To-day, because it suits their purposes, ii#jy have turned a complete somersault. When the strike is finally ended, not the least useful of its results will be a realisation by the workers of the character of the Red Fed. bosses, and also of the character of those short-sighted opportunists who fancied it was good tactics to denounce the critics of these bosses as "the enemies of Labour."

It will be seen that the Hon.. It. McNab has very generously given his fine collection of New Zealand books and manuscripts to the Dunedin Public Library. The Dominion owes him a debt of gratitude for his services in collecting and compiling its early records, and publishing, or assisting to publish, some of the more important of these. Dunedin .now has especial reason to be g?atefud to him for his handsome gift. The citizens, indeed, are especially to be congratulated on tho rich store of historical material which is now available to any Dunedin student for reference. The Hocken Library and the McNah Library will together furnish a store of New Zealand books and literature far surpassing that available for public use in any other city of New Zealand. The collection in the possession of Mr Alexander H. Turnbull, in Wellington, is, we should say, still the most complete and representative in New Zealand, and indeed in the world. It is only within the last few years that the public libraries in >>ew Zealand, from the General Assembly Library downwards, have awakened to the importance of collecting New Zea-

land books and manuscripts, and had it not been for the enterprise and loresight of a few private collectors, NewZealand would be very badly off in this respect.

The Federal Parliament has been sitting since August 12th, but, owing to the obstruction of the Opposition, its legislative achievement has bopn confined to tho passage of nine Bil*£. all of which aro incidental to the ordinary work of the Government. Until a fortnight ago deliberate obstruction prevented the Government from moving on with their policy measures. Then a snap division taken when some Ministerialists were away attending a funeral forced the Ministry to resort to the closure, and the Opposition is now obliged to come to grips with business. The Government is, staking its existence on two measures, one to restore postal voting, and the other to abolish preference to unionists in Commonwealth employment; and to make their passage through the House as short as possible each of these consists of only one clause. The object of the Government is to send policy measures up to the Senate as soon as possible, for unless the Senate twice fails .to pass a measure, with a three months' intervals between such failures, the Ministry is not entitled to ask for a double dissolution. The Labour Party, however, do not want a double dissolution, and are fighting for all they aro worth to prevent a disagreement arising in the terms of tho Constitution such as will ©ntitlo Mr Cook to ask for it. It is an interesting but not elevating Parliamentary warfare. and the public may be trusted to condemn tactics which keep the legislative machino running; with little or no result simply to serve a party purpose.

Americans have beaten Englishmen in mauy sports, but they seem to be as far away as ever from capturing the spirit of English sportsmanship. A typical cartoon in tho New York "Evening Sun," apropos of the defeat of Vardon and Ray in the Golf Championship, shows this clearly. Ouimet, the winner of tho championship, is depicted driving a ball which hits the British Lion in the eye and makes him see stars. Th© discomfited lion has three knots in bis tail, representing tenuis, polo, and yachting. Uncle Sam carries Ouimet's clubs and greets his eyeblackoning stroke with a cheer. It is impossible to imagine such a cartoon appearing in a reputable English paper, for it is opposed to that spirit of friendliness and chivalry which characterises tho attitude of an English sportsman towards a beaten opponent. The American point of view seems to be quit© different, and one doubts whether it will ever approximate to the English. But after all Englishmen are only human, and thero must be many who would not be displeased to see American boastfulnoss damped by a succession of defeats.

It is easy to sympathise with the "Dominion" in its suggestion that legislation should be passed in order to make violent intimidation severely punishable by imprisonment without the option of a fine. But we do not think that any such legislation calls for enactment out of its due course. Earlier rm the session the Minister of Justice introduced a "short the Police Offences Amendment Bill, in which it was provided that any iper_ori should bo liable on supiroary conviction to three months' imprisonment for resorting/to violence or intimidation with intent to restrict the freedom of anyone to do anything which might lawfully be done. Most of the offences prescribed in this Bill are offences such as the strikers have, committed and havo sought to commit. The public may perhaps remember that the Opposition, inside and outside Parliament, alternately abused and ridiculed this measure. Mr Witty, wo remember, opened his criticism by saying it was the Bill of a weajc Minister! Perhaps, however, we ought to excuse ihe Opposition. It may not have been dislike of sound law, but simple wrongheadedness, that led them into makinjg observations which, the strike having come along to open their eyes, they'may now wish they, had not .wade. Whatever they have done since, we do not think that at that particular time they intended to encourage the forces of disorder. Their eagerness to abuse the Government, it is more charitable to assume, prevented from looking ahead. *

One of to-day's cable messages tells us that a vigorous agitation is on foot in England to secure tho release of Mr Jim Larkin, who was recently sentenced to seven months' imprisonment on a charge of sedition. Tho agitation is obviously due in no small measure to the alarm of some of the Liberals, who fear that it will lose them some of the support they now receive from Labour. We havo no exact details of Mr Larkin's offence, but the language for which he appears to have been sentenced was trivial in comparison with much of the languago used by many of the striko orators here. The ''Daily Chronicle," in its anxiety for the Government, practically urges that in the name of free speech a man may plead the right to say anything. The law against sedition may be a law of some antiquity, but so is the law against murder. If a crime subversive of public order and destructive of life and property survives from the past, the law against it must be allowed to survive with it.