TO BE OR NOT TO BE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 63, 15 March 1911, Page 5

TO BE OR NOT TO BE.

PREPARED FOR WAR.

(Received March .14, 9.55. p.m.) LONDON, .March 14. In the House of Commons, in deprecating comparisons with Germany, Mr Ponsonby urged.the .abandonment of a policy which was..-found-ed on the mischievous scare of 1909. Lord Charles Beresford contended that the fleet .margin was .too small, and suggested, amidst cheers, the possibility of inducing ,the grfcat English-speaking nations to unite, for peace. If that were possible Great Britain could reduce her armament; meanwhile, the expenditure must Joontinue. He argued that the present Estimates were ' inadequate to secure an unassailable position at sea. Mr McKenna .assured the supporters of the motion, that thejsole object of huge and costly ships w.as to be .secure in all contingencies. They should have the freedom of the. highway of the ocean. This was impossible, unless the Navy was supreme .as against any .foreign navy and any reasonable probable combination we might have to meet single-handed. He contended that it was impossible to avoid reference to the growth of the German .Navy, and emphasized the fact that the'idrastic amendments of the fleet law in 1906 and 1908iprovided much larger ships and doubled GermaiayV JNaval •Estimates of the ensuing years. ; Alter ji^tifyihg his inference of 1909, which led to the building of four .contingent ships, Mr MeKenna remarked that although the information regarding the ((dates was wrong, that concerning the ..size and cost was right.