THE NAVY LEAGUE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 149, 20 December 1907, Page 8

THE NAVY LEAGUE.

O -■ ITS OBJECT. 'CO TIIK 3CDITOR, Sir, — lii his "remarks, as cabled last night, Mr. Haldane, Secretary of Statefor War, compares tlio aggregate population of Germany and the United States as vnstiy outnumbering that of Britain, and he hints at the probable failure in the future io maintain tho British Navy nt tho recognised two-Power standard of strength. JEr. Haldane continues : "Wo may not be able in the days to come to depend wholly and absolutely upon the Navy." . . . >: Should that time arrive it will be our own home forces in which we shall have to rest our trust.'' With all duo deference, however, I would like to point out that our nation's interests at sea are not to be gauged on a population basis. Despite the preponderating numbers of Germany and the United^ States, .the combined mercantile marino tonnajvo of thoso Powers is only about one-foufth that of Britain ; and the annual value of their sea-borne commerce (combined) is also well under British figures. -As to Britain ever resting her trust in her home forces, the idea is — to say tho least of it — decidedly irrational, in view of the fact that the Mother Country depends upon outsido sources for three-fourths of her food supply and raw materials. _ Following the loss of her seapowcr, Britain could, in the opinion of more than one lecognised authority, be starved into submission within a period of a few months, and this without the landing of a single- foreign soldeir on her shores. In other woids, the Navy is all that stands between Britain and national annihilation ; and it is this grim fact that tho Navy League is endeavouring to bring homo to the understanding of tho general public. — I am, etc., CECIL W. PALMER, Hon. Seoretaiy Wellington Branch of the Navy League. Wellington, 19lh December, 1907. The- annual value of r-ea-borne commerce, as shown by Parliamentary Return No. 284, of '1905, was:— British Empire, £1.371,104,638; Unite] S'.at-s £467,818,000; Germany, £561,214,000 The mercantile marine tonnage was : British EmpTre, 11,336,207 tons; United States, 882,555; Germany, 2,093,053.