The Hastings Standard Published Daily. TUESDAY, JAN. 12, 1897. SUPREMACY AT SEA.

Hastings Standard, Issue 218, 12 January 1897, Page 2

The Hastings Standard Published Daily.

TUESDAY, JAN. 12, 1897. SUPREMACY AT SEA.

I ; or the cause thai lacks assistance, For the wrongs that need resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

Gbkat Britain is determined to be supreme upon the seas, ho says Hit; Chancellor of the Fxcheipior, Sir M. Hicks-Beach. This no doubt comes an a retort to the feverish exhibition on the part of France to rival Filmland's naval strength. France, Russia and Germany have 1 been ntilivin;.; the resources of their respective treasuries to .strengthen their navies, and as the naval policy of Filmland is to maintain a na\y equal in strength and capabilities to any two foreign navies, she is compelled to spend money in naval construction and other requirements necessary to maintain tier in a foremost position. Last, year partly a.-i the outcome of German arrogance our the Traiis\aal incident a particular mtmcc. squadron was put in commission, and a special naval \ote obtained from I'arliaiuent for the building of ships of war. Hut ill spite of this there are certain able critics who aver that Filmland is deliicient in vessels, or will he in Ih«|{| when the \ote of year is expended and the \essels built. Tin* magnitude of the sums spi-ni in the navies may be realised from the fact, that in the six years Ih«J(J IMS, the expenditure of Great Jtrituin amounted to I'lOl, l«l .700. France during the -aiue jwriod -pent ; < iermaiiy i"21k),02 J,o<)o, and Russia !"!!.*> ,274 La,-.t year tint exjwnditurt liy'l - upland exceeded that of the combined totals of Kussia, 1' ranee and (iermaiiy by nearly two million* sterling. lor the current year France proposes to sj>end itnd < tcruiany i'<>,'»()*,<MX), and it is not surprising therefore that the Chancellor of the Fxchequer .should announce that the House of Commons will he itsked to pa.-3 a large uavai \olv *1 the •f>S>(o*chmo »C««IOQ.

Fortunately both parties in the State are agreed as to the necessity there exists for England maintaining her position as Mistress of the Seas. England has a huge empire to protect, and a mighty stream of commerce to safeguard. In America the empire takes the form of a dominion, fit to rank with the United States themselves. In Africa the shadow of the Union Jack stretches from the Cape to Cairo. In Asia we have a huge military monarchy, where, if necessary, armed hosts can be raised on the scale of a European conscription. In these seas we have a cluster of colonies with limitless possibilities of growth. This Empire must be protected, the sea-borne trade of this Empire must be guarded, and to the navy we must look for the necessary protection. The avowed object of her neighbors is to assail the supremacy of England, to lessen the size of the Empire, and at all events to stop if possible any further additions to the enormous area that owns allegiance to the British flag. It is a stupendous undertaking and doomed to failure. England has the money and material and the constructive skill which her neighbors do not possess. It takes on the continent five years to build a vessel which in England can be sent to sea in two years. This is an enormous advantage, and with the money available for the purpose Great Britain need never fear her neighbors. How much longer are these war preparations to continue ? When will finality be reached '? These questions have been asked time and again but who is there that can furnish the answer. A great war is inevitable, but the nations are like so many schoolboys each waiting for the other to strike the first blow. Probably when the end is reached it will be some inconsequential affair that will cause the first shot to be fired. We have it on the authority of the Chancellor of the Exchequer that it is imperative that Great Britain should continue to extend her Empire, and in the process we are certain to offend the dignity or tread on the corns of some tie ry -tempered foreign er.