BRITISH NAVAL POLICY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15055, 26 July 1912, Page 7

BRITISH NAVAL POLICY.

the Mediterranean fleet. reasons for withdrawing SHIPS. ' STRENGTH TO BE KEPT- UP. " A DREADNOUGHT SQUADRON IF NEEDED.", _ _ % By Telegraph.—Press Association.— Copyright. (Received July 25, 9.20 i».*m.) London, July 25. . In replying in the House of Commons last night to criticisms of the Government's naval policy, Mr. Churchill (First Lord of the Admiralty) declared that it was incorrect to say that the battleships were withdrawn from ~ the Mediterranean because they were wanted in Home waters. '''■- ! The ships, he said, were withdrawn firstly, because they were useless in . view of the presence of the AustroItalian ships, and secondly because : the crews : were wanted to man the more powerful King Edward VII. . type of battleship,' which otherwise would be relegated to the reserve. Mr. Churchill denied ; that ' the transfer of four battle cruisers to Malta would reduce the Home fleet to below what the Admiralty considered ,to "be the irreducible minimum. . ■ ■■-.;'. '" : -'•'■■>.'•' ■..;" If the other Powers increase their ships in the Mediterranean," he said, " we will increase ours, and if necessary create a Dreadnought squadron there." , - GERMAN STATESMAN'S VIEW -■;/'" WAR UNTHINKABLE." Berlin, July 24. Dr. Paasche (Vice-President of the German Reichstag), in speaking at a banquet, said that war between Germany and Britain was unthinkable. He regretted Mr. < Churchill's evident intention to hasten the growth of armaments. " Germany's navy did not challenge the British; Germany was merely providing for the growth of her everincreasing world commerce. ~-~———————f—~— AUSTRIA'S NAVAL POLICY. FOR DEFENCE PURPOSES. (Received July 25, 11-20 p.m.) Vienna, July 25.' The newspaper Pester Lloyd, in commenting on the naval discussion, says:—" Let Great Britain ■ assure Austria that she will never have-to defend her coasts against Britain, then it will be possible to disduss the abandonment of Austria's naval programme." - . ■ ' , " The Zeit says that it believes that the Mediterranean question has been raised to enable Great Britain to increase her navy without appearing to build against Germany. CANADA'S CONTRIBUTION. NOT A REDUCTION OF BRITAIN'S BILL. (Received July 26, 1 a.m.) v London, July 25. Mr. J. D. Hazen, Premier of New Brunswick, , in an address to the Maritime League, said that Canada's contribution was not intended to be in reduction of what Britain should do, but as a supplementary contribution. The Canadian Cabinet Ministers now in London have discussed with the Admiralty the question of the conversion of merchantmen into armed cruisers. GUARDING THE EMPIRE. HELP FROM OVERSEAS. (Deceived July 26, 1 a.m.) Ottawa, July 23. The Toronto Globe declares that the time will come when 15,000,000 overseas white men will stand behind the Motherland to guard the outlying portions of the Empire, and to keep the trade routes open. NEW SUPER-DREADNOUGHTS. SIX FOR ITALY: THREE FOR AUSTRIA. - Paris, July 24. The Matin declares that at Germany's instigation Italy has decided to lay down six super-Dreadnoughts, , of which two will be put on the stocks at the end of the current year, while will lay down three.' i ' BRITAIN'S GREAT BURDEN. RESULT OF GERMAN SCHEME. In recently discussing" the naval situation the London Daily Telegraph said :— " The new burden on naval construction which the amended German scheme will involve on Great Britain cannot be less than £12,000,000, even if Germany postpones laying the keel of one of the three extra battleships authorised, and if all three ship are begun before 1917, the- , charge will rise to about £14,000,000. '■ This means that in the six years immediately aheadover and above the normal outlay on new ships of about £13,000,000 annually, or an aggregate of, roughly, £78,000,000 or £80,000,000 sterling—the Admiralty will have to be provided with from £12,000,000 to £14,000,000, the pressure of which will be felt mainly in the financial years of 1913-14 and onwards, i There is ho doubt as to these figures, ex- < cept that they may -err on .the side of moderation. ( ''But this is only one side of the picture and the brightest. Germany is about to raise the number of her officers and men from, approximately, 60,000 to over 80,000. With these men it is proposed to place . on a war footing a new squadron consist- • ing of eight more battleships, besides ' cruisers and torpedo craft. The high seas fleet is to be raised from a strength of 17 battleships to 25, and eventually the 10 armoured cruisers associated with it will be Dreadnought cruisers of the Invincible type,. raising the armoured strength instantly ready at all times in ] the North Sea or Baltic to 35 Dread- 4 noughts. On this portion of the scheme the Imperial Government will spend most jf the money for which the Reichstag must ' eventually be asked."- I.]