THE POLICY OF GERMANY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14018, 25 March 1909, Page 5

THE POLICY OF GERMANY.

DESIRE FOR FRIENDSHIP. LIMITATION OF ARMAMENTS BRITAIN'S OVERTURES. By Telegraph.—Press Association. —Copyright. (Received Uarch 24, 10.30 p.m.) Berlin, March 24. Herr von Schoen (Secretary for Foreign Affairs), addressing the Budget Committee of the Reichstag on behalf of Prince von Bulow (the Imperial Chancellor), said the British Government had intimated in a general way its readiness to come • to an. understanding not to extend the cost of the naval programme, but no formal proposal had been made. Nothing had been put forward which would form a basis of negotiations. . In the intercourse of friendly Governments ? it was customary to avoid presenting formal -proposals the consideration of which appeared doubtful. For that reason probably Britain had avoided addressing a formal proposal to Germany; and therefore they were not called upon to take up a position towards such a proposal. Prince von. Bulow had set forth the grounds of Germany's attitude respecting the limitation of armaments in a speech in the Reichstag on December 10 " Germany's fleet," Herr von Schoen added, " will be measured by her needs." He implied nio threat to other nations. Continuing, he heartily concurred in the confident hope expressed by the entire committee, that the relations between Britain and Germany would develop further in the direction of: friendship, which, he remarked, was the sincere wish of the whole of the German people and the German Government. The committee voted the final instalments for the warships to be completed in 1909, and the first in-\ stalments for three Dreadnoughts, of which it was officially stated two had already been laid down, an armoured * cruiser of the Invincible type and two small cruisers. The Kreuz Zeitung states that the tenders for the two other warships under the 1909-1910 programme would not be invited until autumn. Thus the time gained on the other two ships would be compensated: for, and there would be no acceleration in the development. of the fleet beyond the times set down oh the programme. A discussion took place in the Reichstag in December on Germany's external policy with special reference. to the question of the limitation of naval armaments. Prince Bulow. and Herr von Schoen both took part in the debate, and the Chancellor, while admitting that an international limitation of armaments was in itself an extremely desirable thing, contended that there were insuperable practical difficulties in the way of its attainment, especially in the case of Germany. •