NAVAL BURDENS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 598, 28 August 1909, Page 5

NAVAL BURDENS.

GERMAN ESTIMATES FOR NEXT YEAR WEARY TAXPAYERS. A BERLIN PLEA FOR LIMITATION. ■ ■ (liar..Telegraph.—Press Association.-OopjrletK I BorliDi August 26. Tho newspaper "Berliner Tagcblatt," dia'.cussing tlio Estimates for ,1910,' and tho financial burden involved, states . that Germany had tho utmost difficulty recently in raising twenty-fivo pillions of now taxes. Commenting on tho prospective increase of tho country's burdens involved by tho new Estimates, tho paper says it was a gravo. blunder ,to reject . England's outstretched hand.' '

THE "TAGEBLATT" ON THE BIG CRUISER SCHEME. .The "Berliner ,Tagebiatt," a Radical: journal, was ono of the German papers that ventured to raise a protest when Adiniral'von; Weber, speaking at the annual meeting'of the German Navy League, forecasted a further extension of tho Navy Laiv. This extension is ohieily in the direction' of proyiding-. mOre nreat annonred ornisers—to . compete -with 'Britain's Indomitable class—ana Admiral v?in Weber' had no hesitation in departing (roni the usual "protection of coasts and trade" formula, and affirming, that a strqng navy is'"indispensable, for the political prestige" of tho German ■ Umpire. ■:■■■ '. ■' v '.: '

■ 'In discussing ) Admiral von' Weberfs '" progTaEnme," tho Tageblatt" comes to the conclusion that the Wavy I/;aguo : inUst haVo seonred..some measure of* official approval •before promulgating, it. • The Radical journal regards-Admiral ..von Weber's speech' as m the nature,.ot a forecast, of tho next rnent , of. the . Navy Law.- Although the Navy Leaguaas too modest to suggest dates, tho obvious date for expansion is ■ the beginning of tne financial 1911,: when the, scale of bat-, tleship', construction is supposed to begin to , According;to • tb 9 *'Tagebistft!'; calcnla|ion,, AdJiiiral von Weber's programme means tnat in .1911-a demand will .bo made for the construction of six Invincibles to take the of .the Kaiserin Augusta, tho !B[ertha, the /Viotoria Louise,: the Frcya, tho Hansa, and the Yineta. . Tho "groundwork"'• of • the .Navy disturbed . and 'the . nominal strength pf;,tho; fleet. ; wiU not :bo multipliod■tiiero . will merely bo "all i alteration": of the schemes of .construction :of ships' to ;/tako'-the Pv}?^ 6l i otK« r ,•-sHps, The new * programme ; w " l ,P ro T e jthat that, naval' es-' is. ,to begin to decline-in the-year 1911 was ,ap .illusory, as;"all other assumptions' since .the passing of' the Navy Law."