NAVAL ARMAMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 469, 30 March 1909, Page 5

NAVAL ARMAMENTS.

BRITAIN AND GERMANY. A LABOUR MISSION SPOKEN OF, "NO\QUARREL." (b? TELEGRAM—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COMRIOHT.) (Reo. March 29, 11.60 p.m.) \ London, March 29. Mr. Keir Labour' momber for Morfchyr Tydvil, in a speech to his constituents, said. that the effect of Mr. Asquith's speech \in tho Navy . debate in tho House' of Commons was such as ho had never seen boforo, resulting in a scare making it easy fyr tho Government to boat down tho opposition 'which existed in its own ranks to further .expenditure on tho Navy, i Ho announced that 25 mombors of tuo Labour party woro going to Germany st Whitsuntide to toll the Germans: "You and wo have no quarrel." \ "AN ENGLISHMAN'S HOME." OPPOSITION TO ITS PRODUCTION IN GERMANY.' ' • (Rec. March 29, 11.60 p.m.) London, March 29. Tho nowspapers of Berlin oro actively opposing the production of the* play " An Englishman's Home" in Germany, on tho grdund that it has anti-German tendencies. MINISTERS DEPRECATE SCARES. A MARGIN OF SAFETY. London, March 28. The president of tho Board of Education, Mr. Runciman, speaking at Colchester, denounced the artificially inflated scaro regarding naval matters. He declared that tho British Navy was impregnable, that there were no. German. Dreadnoughts yet afloat, and thit Germany had only two r fifths of Britain's number of available sailors. The Government's motto with .regard to naval affairs was, he added, ''Safety without superfluity." [According to programme, Germany's two. first Dreadnoughts, tha Nassau and tho Westfalen, each of 18,000 tons, are to be ready for service in the nutunin of this year.] *, Dr. Macnamara, Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty, in the course of a speech, denied that there was any likelihood of. Germany getting ahead of England by April, 1912. The margin occasionally was, possibly, email, but Britain's pre-DreadnoUght fleet and the Government's programme fully assured the national safety. [Opinions as to the vnlue of the ore-Dread-nought ships differ widely• . ' Jt ; has been claimed (writes the "Naval Annual") on behalf of the Dreadnought and her successors that the type outclasses all battleships of earlier design. The all-big-gun armament has been adopted for the battleships now building for the United States and Germany, but it has not been adopted in. Prance or Japan. It is not certain that, an armament composed entirely of heavy guns is Buperior to an armament which hioludes a considerable proportion of guns of Win. calibre or less. If actions could bo always fought at long ranges, of 10,000 yards or thereabouts, tho advantage would probably be with the all-big-gun ship, but there are many (lays in the year when on the seas surrounding our coasts it is impossible to 6ee, much less hit, a ship at such ranges. The experience ot the Battle of Tsushima showed the value of a hail of flro from guns of medium calibre. ]

THE MINISTRY'S CANDID FRIEND. *•■ LIEUTENANT' BELLAIRS'.' : ; " A PARTY REPUDIATION, BUT LOYAL . , CONSTITUENTS. London, March 28. Lieutenant C. 'JV. Bellairs, Liberal member for King's Lynn, whom the' Liberal Association repudiated, obtained, at a meeting of his constituents, a Unanimous resolution of confidence, which declared that the anxiety in the country 'and the -Empire regarding naval supremacy had proved his warnings' to. be right, and that he had earned the grutitudo of his coutrymen. [As secretary of the Liberal Navy Committee, in" the House of Commons, Lieut. Carlyon Bellairs has been a frequent critic of Admiralty policy, and his experionce and marked ability In'the nnval profession have made him ftn effective critic. At the recent meeting at Charing Cross under the auspices of the Navy League he was the mover or the proposal that eight Dreadnoughts should be begun and completed at the earliest possible date. Apparently the Liberal party organisation has expelled him, but his constituents are of another opinion^] HITTING POWER. ! A STATEMENT BY SIR PERCY SCOTT. : London, March 28. > Vice-Admiral Sir Percy Scott, in the course of a speech, declared that the value of fleets depends more- on tho hitting power than the numbers. An Indomitable with eight guns made double the number of hits of a Dreadnought with ten guns.

[It is probable th'at Sir .Percy Scott, who is a great gunnery expert, has been incorrectly reported. The original Dreadnought's armament—and that of her immediate successors is apparently to bo much the same, except that there is a secondary armament of 4iii. euns— is ten 12in. guns, eight of which can fire on either broatlsklei The armoured cruiser or cruiser-battleship Indomitable has eight 12in. guns, all of which can fire on either broadside. So apparently the Indomitable has the r same broadside as the Dreadnought, and it is not clear where "double the number of hits comes in."' Of course, hitting-power and "unpower are not necessarily tho saino thing, as tho factor of markmanship comes in. In declaring hitting-power tho test, Sir Percy Scott says nothing ■ about the Indomitable's lighter armour. Can n vessel with equal hitting-power but with superior vulnerability bo satil to be superior? The "Naval Annual" argues that "vessels of the Invincible type appear too large and too costly for most of the duties of a cruiser, while in the line of battle their comparatively light protection would ho a disadvantage and their ligh speed of little value." Another writer, however, observes that "the object for which the Indomitable anil her sister ships have been built is to deal with hostile cruisers, and iiv battle to compel the enemy to fight by heading him off or concentrating on the head of his lino." It is argued that her speed would enable her to keep in. advance of the head of tho enemy's line, but at destructive range; "what she cannot out-gun sho can out-run."] THE ISLAND DOMINION. MARITIME INSTINCT. 1 (lice. March 29, 11.C0p.m.) London, March 29. Tho "Spectator" declares that no part of the Empire will grudge New Zealand tho honour of leading the way. It is appropriate that tho Island Dominion should bo the first to turn its thoughts to ships. NEW ZEALAND'S OFFER UNCHANGED. PRIME MINISTER'S STATEMENT. THE "SHAPE" OF THE CONTRIBUTION. In a shqrt statement which ho made to a Dominion reporter last night, the Prime Minister (Sjr Joseph Ward) referred to a suggestion contained, in an editorial published in yesterday's iss'uo. This paper had submitted that tho Government's reply to Lord Crowe's cablegram contained an indication that Now Zealand's epecial contribution to Impeiial defence may tako somo other form-than tho gift of a battleship. ,«°V. tho Prinio Minister last night t "Our

offer remains exactly aa it was sent in tho first instance, without any alteration. Tho inforonco drawn from tho wording of our cablegram, and particularly from tho reference to the 'shnpo' of our contribution, is quite mistaken. Tho phrase was only intended to apply to the dotails, which, as Lord Crowe stated in his cablegram, aro coining by mail. It is not possible for tho Government in the meantiino to know precisely in what way tho details of tho matter will bo arranged, but there is no alteration so far as wo are concerned, and I havo no knowledgo of any intention on tho part of tho Imperial Government' such as has been suggested." THE "MYSTERIOUS" TELECRAM. THE PRIME MINISTER SURPRISED. When seen by a Dominion reporter last night, tho Prime Minister said a few words about tho confidential telegram which ho sent to certain newspaper editors in connection with the Dreadnought offer. Tho Christchurch "Evening News" had alluded to this telegram and stated that it caused the Dreadnought offer to bo more favourably received throughout tho country than would otherwise have been tho case, and that in the light of subsequent events the tone of tho telegram was unjustifiable. To these allegations tho Primo Minister last night gave an emphatic denial. "1 cannot give you the contents of the telegram," ho said, "but there was.nothing whatever mysterious about it. There was nothing incorrect in it. It did not contain ono statement which I would alter at the present moment. I cannot do other than express my surprise at an editor referring in his columns to a communication which was marked 'strictly confidential. . It is the first time I have had an experience of the kind, and it is so unusual that I won't make any further comment on it." UNIVERSAL TRAININC. "NOT DESIRABLE," SAYS THE PREMIER. . (OY TELEGRAPH—TOISS ASSOCIATION.) Auckland, March 29. The secretary of tho National Defeneo League has received the following reply from the- Prime Minister to tho resolution of tho General Council of the league approving of New Zealand's gift of a Dreadnought, and urging the adoption of universal training in the Dominion. " I am very much indebted to the General Council of the National Defence League for their resolution of approval of the offer that has been made to the Imperial authorities by the New Zealand Government. I am also obliged for the expression of opinion, but at the moment I do not consider it is desirable. I am, however, alive to the necessity of giving the general position of the defence proposals of our country tho closest attention".—(Signed) J. G. Ward." \ CHURCH OPINIONS. MINISTER AND DEACONS DISAGREE, (Dlf TELKGUU'U— riIKSB ASSOCIATION.) Naplsr, March 29. At tho Baptist Church last evening the' Navy question formed the subject of a sermon by tho Rev. J. K. Archer. Ho said personally he was a Britisher, and in a conflict between Britain and • Germany he would like to see the power of Britain maintained, but he hold that there should never be such a .conflict. In conclusion ho advocated a holy alliance botween. the masses of Germany, Britain, Franco,'' Russia, and America and other great nations to have international disputes sottlcd by arbitration. ■ ' At _tho_ conclusion of tho sermon questions wore invited. Mr. J. H. Thompson, speaking as ono of the deacons of tho church, said he regretted Mr. Archer had not dealt with the subject at ono of tho brotherhood meetings instead of at the church. . Ho was afraid that tho impression might go outside that tho Baptist Churoh was disloyal. Mr. W. P. Lascellos, another deacon, endorsed tho remarks made by Mr. Thompson. Mr. Lascellea said he thought it a great pity that a Sunday evening servico should havo been devoted to a subject of this sort. When ho read tho announcement of tho subject in the newspaper ho was very much hurt, and ho really wondered whether the Old Gospel had lost its charm when it had to give place to such subjects as they had listened to that evening. Mr. Archer said ho thought his two friends had mistaken his argument, which was not that England was wrong in this dispute, or that Germany was right, hut that the time had come when war should be abolished. So far as the propriety of introducing such a question into his tormons was concerned that must be left to his own judgment. Ho would continue to preach against war and to spoak on any subject which seemed to bo necessary and in harmony with what ho believed to be the truth.

The minister's remarks were received 'ith applause.

(as l'ELEattArn—press association,! Auokland, March 29. At -the Pitt Street Methodist Church last night tho Rev. J. A. Luxford said that England's supremacy on tho sea was Godgiven for purposes of beneficence- and. benevolence. If wo lost our prostifiG as a naval Power, we would lose our influence among tho nations, and this loss of prestige would mean tho loss of tho opportunity of benefiting tho weak, the oppressed, and tho uncivilised. Great Britain had succeeded to a grand and world-wide- mission spiritually and ethically the same as God had given to his ancient Israel.