THE RACE FOR SHIPS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 694, 20 December 1909, Page 7

THE RACE FOR SHIPS.

DISREGARDED INFORMATION.' ADMIRAL BERESFORD THREATENS TO TELL SECRETS. EFFECTS OF DREADNOUGHTING. (By Telegraph.—Frosa Association—Oopyrteht.) i London, December 17. Admiral Lord Charles Beresford, speaking'at 'Hull, said that Mulliners, a Coventry firm, informed the Admiralty in , May, I'JOC, of Gormany's accelerated shipbuilding, since which date the firm had never received an Admiralty order. '< .... The Navy, added Lord Charles,' was at present sixteen thousand short in its porsonneL He condemned .the short-service system and the reduction in the Coastguards. If things do not improve, 'continued the Bpeakor, ho was prepared to tako the risk of offending l under the Official Secrets Act. During the last four year 3 those in authority ih tho .Navy had pursued a policy of ■ evasion, prevarication, and sometimes absolute falsehood in rogard to the strength of the licet. "So long as we were wardens of the seas nobody assailed our supremacy," said the Admiral, "but directly wo became a bully of the seas the caso was different. We built a Dreadnought and held it up to the world, particularly to Germany, saying: ''Look! with this we can sink yotu whole fleet.' Advertising our Dreadnoughts has placed us in our present position. Germany is now spending moro money on construction. than ourselves, and building ships faster." . °

THE ADMIRALTY WARNED IN 1906. ' •'GRAVER THAN; EVER." . (ltcc. December 19, 5.5 p.m.) London, December 18. Mr. Mulliner, in a letter to the newspapers, details his treatment by the Admiralty.. He states that a series of interviews with Cabinet Ministers and members of the Defence Committee last February resulted in the Government accepting his conclusions regarding the danger of Germany's preparations, which conclusions he had forwarded to the Admiralty on May 19, 1906. Mr. Mulliner declares that the present naval situation is graver than over.