NAYAL STRENGTH.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 861, 6 July 1910, Page 7

NAYAL STRENGTH.

SOME COMPARISONS. MR. M'KENNA ON FOREIGN PROGRAMMES. GERMAN CONSTRUCTION. By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright. (Rec. July 5, 11.40 p.m.) ■ London, July .-5. ' Replying in the House of Commons to Mr. 3. B. Lonsdale, Unionist member for Mid-Armagh, Mr. M'Kcnna, First Lord of the Admiralty, stated that the Italian Navy Estimates included' provision for the construction of four Dreadnoughts. / Austria, however, would not have four Dreadnoughts by 1913. Continuing, Mr. M'Kenna said: "If Germany wishes she can complete seventeen Dreadnoughts by 1912." THE CHANCELLOR REBUKED. LABOUR MEMBER'S'DREAM. CUTTING DOWN NAVY FOR SOCIAL REFORM. (Rec. July 5; 11.40 p.m.) London, July 5. In a discursive debate on the Budget, Mr. Chamberlain commented on Mr. Lloyd-George's statement that he hoped by 1912, when the German naval programme drops fifty per centum, we shall all return to. more normal conditions, r . Mr. Chamberlain retorted that if Mr. Lloyd-George, disagreed with forty million Navy Estimates, he should resign. It was reckless to hold out hopes of social reforms depending on the naval policy of a foreign Power. • Mr. Philip Snowden (Labour member for Blackburn) complained of tho Government deferring the fulfilment of its pledge to deal with' unemployment and infirmity. Ho hoped for a day when they had a Budget of from two hundred to four hundred millions sterling, none of which Was expended on antiquated provisions for national defence.

DISQUIETINC BRITISH SLACKNESS. CAPTAIN HASAN'S VIEWS. . London, July 4. Captain Mahan, the well-known naval expert, contributes, an article, in the "Daily Mail" oil."Britain and the German' Navy." ' Ho argues that a disquieting feature of the situation is the apparent indisposition and -slackness on.the part of the voters of Great Britain as against tho resolute spirit and tremendous faculty for organising so strongly evident in Germany. , The creation of a great German Navy necessitated the concentration of the British fleet in Home waters, and the gradual abandonment of Britain' s t naval predominance in the Mediterranean, which would he almost an abandonment of the most essential link in Empire communications. . ■ , ■

CORDITE SUPPLIES AMPLE. .STATEMENT. BY. MR. M'KENNA. London, July 4. In reply to a question by Mr. Rowland Hunt, Unionist member for Ludlow (Shropshire), Mr. M'Kenna, First ■ Lord of tie Admiralty, safd there was an ample supply of cordito for the Navy.