THE BRITISH NAVY.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 3, 14 December 1910, Page 5

THE BRITISH NAVY.

OUR SUPREME “Y IN PERIL. THE NATION’S DUTY. Mr. Balfour, in opening the new premises of the Imperial Union Club at Glasgow, last month, male an important speech on Imperial defence, in which he emphasised the peril in which our naval supremacy now stands, and the national

duty of making up the bine lost, by the present Government. A brief summary of the points is given below : The problem I want to talk to you about is one which it behoves the country resolutely to face unless we are to run the risk of disasters which would make us a byword among the nations. Compare the naval position of this country in the year 1910 with! the position in 1905. We had in 1905 an overwhelming: superiority of pre-Dreadnought ships. There has been not merely a small change in degree. There has been a change in degree so great that it amounts to a change of kind. We can no longer think of ourselves as in the position of mari-> time supremacy which we enjoyed: only five years ago. When we were in office so great was our supremacy that the only conceivable method by which we could imagine invasion to take place was not by defeating the British Fleet, but by’ eluding it. Will anybody’ now say that we are in that position 1 According to the Government calculation, our superiority over the next greatest naval Power in Dreadnoughts in 1913 will be only four.

The margin of British strength has never in our history for the last hundred years sunk so low as that. It does not require a combination of the two largest naval Powers to put us in a numerical inferiority ; something very’ much less than that would do it. One well-directed shot and this narrow range of superiority of four ships in 1913 might be most materially diminished.

It is impossible to say’ that a margin so narrow could not be wiped out by circumstances which i none of us can foresee. I cannot believe that either the Government or that part of the public which has given attention to it can view the present situation without serious misgiving and alarm. ' I hold to my view that there was a lamentable pause in our shipbuilding during two fatal years of the last Parliament. . I am still unable to explain why it is that, w’ith the necessity for shipbuilding patent to everybody and admitted by the Government, there should be slips not used in which no ship is being built. When I was a Minister we in this country could build faster than any foreign Power. We cannot do that any’ longer. The result is we have to see that they do not get ahead of us. I have never been able to understand how, w’ith a properly’ or-: ganised system of submarines, a great military invasion would te possible. ; That may’ modify our views as to ■ the particular method of conquer-: ing us. i It may show that if w.->Md be' more easy for a nat- ■■ ~i au ! ■ came by accident su; : to rurs on the sea to starve • into siuv . .. . . ,

mission than to fight us into submission. But it makes no difference either to these islands or to the British Empire which is the operation performed provided it is performed successfully’. These islands are a very strong fortress, but a very ill-provisioned one. Without supremacy in capital ' ships it is hopeless to suppose that you will be able to give adequate protection to those great trade I routes on which we and our Empire alike depend for food. The nation must set to work on ' a great scale to make up for lost time. That that is a necessity’ seems to be obvious beyond the necessity of argument; and it ought to be be- : yond the necessity ol exhortation, ! appeal, or prayer. I have been appealed to to ex .press in precise formula what we ought to do. | Ido not think that is the duty’ of i an Opposition. i But I say this : that this possibls ’ inferiority must be cured com- ' pletely, wholly, immediately, and ! at all hazards. : No pedantries of finance ought to allow us to stand in the way of carrying out the policy’ on which : our whole finance depends. Whether we ougnt to Borrow to ' build a Fleet, whether we can do R : out of the finances of the year—that must depend upon circum- ! stances. ! But if you cannot do it out of the ■ finance of the year you must do it out of borrowed money. For do it you must; and you must not only do it, you must persuade other people that you mean to do it. Other countries must be convinced that in spite of our party differences, whatever its cost either to : them or to us, Britain’s supremacy at sea is a thing we will see to.