A COMMON BURDEN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 280, 19 August 1908, Page 7

A COMMON BURDEN.

BRITAIN AND GERMANY. AGREEMENT AND DISARMAMENT. CAUTION NEEDED. (lit TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION—COrmiGnT,) Berlin, August 17. Tho journal " Smldcutsche Reichs Correjspondonz," tho organ Of Prince Billow, Imperial Chancellor, hints that a premature agitation for disarmament is calculated to impede British and German efforts to understand tho' aims of each other's naval policy. PRIVATE HELP FOR SPECIAL NAVAL FUND, MINISTERS AND FOREIGN POLICY. London, August 17. "Tho Times" says I "Britain's foreign policy is too gravely vital to be removed from the high piano of statesmanlike guidance by inexperienced politicians." Tho "Standard" accuses Mr. LloydGeorge and Mr. Churchill of assusiing charge of foreign affairs with a view to ousting Sir E. Grey. Tho "Telegraph" says:—"Tho Government is considering an offer of financiers to find one hundred million pounds on nominal terms to meet the necessities of the fleet without. disorganising tho annual Budgets." This offer of aid has been caused by the renowod competition jn iiayal armaments abroad, and was intended to allow Britain's determination to maintain the twoPower standard. Tho revenue would meet normal expenditure, and tho loan fund would meet special requirements. Tho "Telegraph " adds that an influential section of the Cabinet supports acceptance of the offer. The "Daily News" utterly discredits tho i|aval loan report, aud says: —"After speeches as to tho folly of a navy scare, tho country would not tolerate an increase ill taxation to meet a navy panic." FRENCH AND GERMAN PRESS VIEWS. BERLIN'S POLICY. (Rec. August 18, 11.7/ p.m.) London, August 18',, While not, denying, the possibility of some loan, of reasonable amount, being raised for Navy' expansion, in tho event of circumstances demanding it, City circles aro unfavourable to such an operation, because it would affect Consuls and other good securities. Careful inquiry has failed to discover the financiers alluded to in tho "Telegraph's" story as offerinc a loan. ■ The ontiro Unionist' press' censure Mr. Lloyd-George and Sir, Winston Churchill for interfering in Sir Edward Grey's depart-' ment. Berlin, August 18. Tho German Conservative newspapers state emphatically that Germany cannot oven consider the possibility of allowing tho ideas of another Power to influence her armamonts. Paris, August 18. French, newspapers re-echo the British Press opinion that tho situation tends towards, less . tension, and dcclaro that an ultimate halt in shipbuilding, if it como, must now ho loft to develop from the Gorman end. LOOKING AHEAD. A PROGRAMME FOUR YEARS IN ADVANCE. (Rec. August 18, 11.15 p.m.) London, August 18. Tho "Express" foreshadows the ultimato issue of a naval loan in instalments. : Tho ''Westminster Gaxotte" favours a ! naval loan in ordor to onable the Admiralty io jix its shipbuilding programme for four years ahead, subjeot to modification if Germany modifies her programmo. WHY NOT A TREATY WITH GERMANY? SOCIAL REFORM AND ARMAMENTS. Mr. Lloyd-Georgo .and Mr. Churchill are alleged to bo the leaders of an economy section of the Cabinet who see in reduced armaments a means of financing social reforms without having recourse to a higher tariff. The policy which Mr Lloyd-George is now advocating found expression in the "Manchester Guardian oarly in March la6t. On March 2 tho House of Commons discussed tho question whether the expenditure on the Army and "the Navy can bo reduced. Mr. Murray Macdonald moved: "That; in view of the continued friendly relations with foreign Powers announced in the gracious Speech from the Throne, this House trusts that further reductions may he made in expenditure on armmiients and offcct be given to the policy of retrenchment and reform to whioh tliß Government js pledged." but Mr.' Ast|\iith (Chancellor of the Exchequer) moved to leave out all after tho word ''House," and to add "will support His Majesty's Ministers in such economies of naval and military expenditure as are consistent with tho adequate defencp of His Majesty's dominions." After a prolonged debate Mr. Asquith's amendment was carried by 320 votes to 73 — Government majority 217. Discussing this debate, tho "Manchester Guardian" said:

"ECONOMY AND THE FUTURE OP LIBERAL POIICy." "Oil its success in ultimately reducing military and naval expenditure the future of Liberalism iyili largely depend. Nobody wants to leave the country inadequately defended. We note at the samo time, with extreme pleasure, that the first part of Mr. Mncdonald's resolution, which based tho demand _ for economies on our continued friendly relations with foreign Powers, was embodied in the Government' amendment. "Our Liberal polioy has not yet touched the causes that make for competitive armaments. The late Conservative Government began both in the Army' awl Navy n programme of administrative economies which the Liberal Government has by now carried to its furthest practicable pejnt. The hopes of further economies lie in the application of distinctively Liberal principles of policy to tho Army and Navy Budgets; the Admiralty and the War Office need the active 00-operatian of the Colonial Office and tho foreign Office in the solution of probloms to which they are unequal by them? selves. It is becauso wo are so convinced of tho necessity of this co-operation that the acceptance by t)ie Government of tho first half of Atr. Macdonald's resolution seems so important. THE GERMAN PROGRAMME. "Apply the rule that the polioy of friendly relations should govern armaments, to the Navy Estimates, and wjiat is the first fact that jumps to the eyes? That Germany is the one important Power with which wo liavo not concluded an agreement of friendship, and that tho scare agitation about'tho fleet is entirely due to fears on apcomit of tho now German programme. It follows, does it not, that a Liberal Government anxious to reduce its naval armaments should ivorlc for an agreement with Gormaiiy? To wish the'end is to wish for the nioans, It will be urged that there lire no outstanding subjects of disagreement, as there wore with France qnd Russia. But it is not necessary to disagreo before there is agreement. LEGITIMATE NAVAL AMBITIONS, , "Mr. Asquith threw down a good subject for agreement in his discussion of t|io reasons for Germany's naval ambitions, ( They woro natural, ho thought, to a nation whoso population was becoming moro and moro dependent both for food and raw matorials upon oversea supplies and with an extending maritimo coinmovco wliioh they wore hound to protect.' We are glad to see so frank a recognition of tho legitimate causes of Germany's ambitions at soa. But why not romove them, in so far as they are likely to becomo a. tax. upon us, by noftotlnllnj! an agreement for the immunity of privßte property, at mV-