WARSHIPS AND PENSIONS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 30, 5 February 1908, Page 7

WARSHIPS AND PENSIONS.

A NEWSPAPER'S SURPRISE. By Telegraph.— Press Associni ion.— Copyright. LONDON, 4th February. The Daily News states that Liberals are much surprised at the action of tho Government in proposing to spend on Dreadnoughts the money needed for p;nsions. Such a course must inevitably prove a severe strain on the loyalty of the party. It is proposed by the British Government, owing to German progress in regard to naval matters, to substantially increase ths naval estimates for 1008 and 1909. Afc the beginning of January, the Manchester Guardian and other Liberal organs hinted at difficulties bptween Lord Twoedmoulh (First Lord of the Admiralty) and Mr. Haldano (Secretary of State for War), on the one hand, and Mr. Asquith (Chancellor of the Exchequer) on ths other. It was said that tho two former were unwilling to surrender funds for tho purpose of providing old-nge pensions, and the Cabinet was stated to bo iniear>y concerning the oxlont of expenditure on navaf and military requirements, ond inclined to make retrpnclimonts if iho Liberal party was prepared to accord support in the matter. At a Inter date, Mr. Winston Churchill, Parliamentary Under-Secre-tary to tho Colonial Office, suid, in the course of a speech at Manchester, that the naval proposals to be brought forward by the Government would prove adequate, without being panicky or truculent, to secure effective protection. Britain's ability to build ships far more quickly than any two, or three, other Powers put together was recognised. '' ■MIMMW«HMWIMN«nMMfIm]