THE NAVAL CRISIS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 14973, 20 April 1909, Page 7

THE NAVAL CRISIS.

SPEECH BY MR ASQUITH

THE DREADNOUGHT PROGRAMME.

POSSIBLE NEW DEVELOPMENT IN CONSTRUCTION.

THE GOVERNMENT’S ATTITUDE, LONDON, April 18. United Prc3s Association—By Eleotrio Telegraph—Copyright

In a. speech at Glasgow, Mr Asquith characterised the Cawdor memorandum as an electioneering pamphlet. Had the Liberals proceeded on its lines the country would be in possession of an unnecessary number of' backward specimens of ships. In a constantly progressive family of vessels the Neptuno class was thirty per cent better than the original Dreadnought. “At this moment,” he said, “ Britain may be on tho evo of a now' development in naval construction which may vitally affect her naval policy; hence it is undesirable to order contingent Dreadnoughts immediately. Tho sole issue between the critics and ourselves is whether we should bind ourselves to order extra vessels at once or leave tho question to be determined later in the year.” The magnificent colonial offers, lie continued, wove enhanced by the fmo generous spirit in which they were made. Nothing was more gracious or tactful or could indicate more the generous and patriotic conception of the common obligations of the Empire. Speaking without consultation with his colleagues, he suggested the possibility of a conference of the colonies with the Mother Country regarding the future respective shares in the great interdependent work of naval defence.