THE DECLARATION OF LONDON.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 29 June 1911, Page 5

THE DECLARATION OF LONDON.

PROTEST BY BUSINESS MEN. VIEWS OF MR BALFOUR. Pres3 Association.—Copyright , LONDON, Wednesday. Mr Balfour, Leader of tire Opposition, addressing a non-pairty meeting of London business men on the Declaration of London, added that in war time starvation, not invasion, was Britain's danger. Weaker naval power, without an effective blockade, might so interfere with the supply of foodstuffs that no selfsacrifice or patriotism could enable them in time of stress to deal with a situation of such a nature. The emergency might arise under the Declaration, of London. The enemy mig'ht say that no .matter what the cost, two years hence they would use privateers in order to secure an immediate advantage in a life and death struggle. ' The Declaration, of London was equivalent to the destruction of Britain's great naval power. An invasion of Britain would be a very risky operation; and that was an advantage which no parchments could take away. It was an> asset wQiich could not be tossed into the gutter by the Government, however careless; but its insular position made it vei"y difficult for Britain to exercise pressure on a. belligerent. Tlie power of blockade and' the power of seizing an enemy's vessels and goods were almost Britain's only methods of exercising pressure. The present Government expressly refused two years ago to try and l get property at sea made non-liable to capture because it was the only method of dealing with belligerents. They did not promote peace by making it relatively cheap and easy to go to war with Britain.

Mr Atheiiey Jones, M.P., seconded the protest against the Declaration 1 . H-e contended t'hat the matter involved no Liberal party interests; but was solely a matter of national concern. '

Lord Charles Beresford, Mt Gibson Bowks, and Mr Balfour addu.-es.sed a great overflow meeting. Admiral Sir H.edworth Lombton, in a letter to the newspapers, strongly opposes the ratification of the Declai-ation.