The Lyttelton Times. THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1909. THE DREADNOUGHT OFFER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 14975, 22 April 1909, Page 6

The Lyttelton Times. THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1909. THE DREADNOUGHT OFFER.

It is satisfactory to find associations like the Farmers’ Union and tho Agricultural and Pastoral Association warmly endorsing the Dreadnought offer. The farmers go to the heart of a matter like this. They realise that if the sea routes cannot be kept open tho producers of the colonies must suffer, quite apart from the question of the'Empire’s integrity, and they regard tho contributions that New Zealand makes to the Imperial Navy as a sound investment. This point of viewmay not ho a highly sentimental one, but it hao common-sense to recommend it. There in no need to suppose that

Germany has any intention of attacking Britain, and tEo situation certainly warrants nothing in the shape of a “ scare.” But the British Empire, whoso prosperity, whose life indeed, depends on the opien sea, cannot resign tho supremacy to any foreign Power. The Germans are feverishly building a big navy because they Tealiso that Great Brit Ain lies, like a huge barrier, across their trade routes, and it would be folly to ignore the possibility that the present comrpercial rivalry will develop into bitter national jealousy and subsequently into armed conflict. Mr W. T. Stead, who is no Jingo, declares that tho uneasiness at present evident in Germany is due entirely to what the Germans call “the British menace.” “ Wltile no Power can make war upon them with any hope of victory,” he says, “ there is one Power which can inflict, immense injury upon them without exposing itself to any fear of instant retaliation. That Power is Britain. Wo are impotent to touch Germany on the land, hut on the sea the Germans believe that within a month after war had been dockred tho German flag would disappear from tho high seas, their growing navy would he destroyed, and the wholo of their oversea trade demolished. It is this conviction that makes tho Germans so restive. Hence their enormous sacrifices to create a navy strong enough to shield their fleet and their commerce from tho Behemoth whose lair stretches like a great dam between them land the further seas.” But Mr Stead is not content to understand the basis of German uneasiness. Ho proceeds, in a very significant passage, to define Britain’s duty to herself:— *

It is idle for ’English folk to rail at tho Germans! fior feeling and acting as they are doing. In their pkee wo should feel and act exactly in the same way. But we cannot on that account allow our naval supremacy to he impaired. We have been very reasonable. We havo had quite recently a four or five-to-one naval superiority to Germany. We still have a throe-to-one •Superiority. Instead of proposing to maintain tho status cpio we modestly propose in tho future to be content with a preponderance of two to one. But there we draw the line of safety. Wo have to maintain fleets aH over the world. Germany keeps all her fighting ships at home. Wo cannot, wo date not, and we shall not allow that two-to-one standard of comparative naval strength to be infringed upon, even if it cost its our last copeclc to maintain a margin of strength necessary for our safety, for our daily bread, for our very existence.

If tills is admitted td bo a reasonable statement of tho position, the objection to a progressive programme in shipbuilding falls to tho ground. And if wo must have a great Navy, New Zealand, as a member of tho Imperial family, must carry her share of the burden. Tho public of thei dominion appreciate the force of the argument, and that is why they are, well nigh unanimously, applauding tho bold policy pursued by the Government.