THE ENGLISHMAN'S HOME.

Mataura Ensign, 25 January 1911, Page 5

THE ENGLISHMAN'S HOME.

PROTECTING TRADE ROUTES. GEEAT BRITAIN'S NECESSITY. BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. COPYRIGHT. PER UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. Received January 25, 9.35 a.m. LONDON, Jan. 24. Lord Inverclyde (a director of the yunard Steamship Company), addressing the Shipowners' Association at Glasgow, asked whether the Government's desire to ratify the Declaration of London was not equivalent to an admission that the Navy was unable to protect the trade routes. Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson (First Sea Lord) was too sanguine regarding the impossibilities of invasion. Great Britain was entitled to command the sea commercially, and the Navy must he equal to any necessity. Rear-Admiral Hon. Sir E. R. Fremantle condemns the Declaration, believing that none of the signatories would observe it in war time and an International Court would have no power to enforce its decision. He is also of opinion that the new blockade rules would much hamper British commanders. To the second edition of General Sir lan Hamilton's book on "Compulsory Service" Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson (First Sea Lord) adds an appendix emphasising the fact that Britain's defence must be twofold —consisting of, firstly, seagoing fleets, and, secondly, mobile mosquito craft, including 170 detroyers and torpedoers and 50 svib-' marines, stretching from Dundee to Dover and to Devonport. Admiral Wilson points out that the really seri .us danger is interruption of trade and the destruction of merchant shipping. All ships operating in home waters should be in wireless communication and so disposed as to make an invasion, even on the moderate scale of 70,000 men, practically impossible.