COST OF ARMAMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15499, 5 January 1914, Page 7

COST OF ARMAMENTS.

MR, LLOYD GEORGE'S VIEWS

RECEPTION IN FRANCE. '

CONSTERNATION EXPRESSED* BRITISH PRESS COMMENTS. PARTY DISSENSION ALLEGED. HINT OF CABINET SPLIT. By Telegraph—Preas —Copyright. (Received January 4, 5.5 p.m.) London*; January 3. One hundred of the Liberal members of the Souse of Commons have' united against any increases in the Naval Estimates. Mr. Lloyd George's statements re-' garding the cost of armaments havei caused consternation in Paris. The Temps emphasises the facts that France's enormous expenditurs is the result of Germany's change of policy, and adds that if France is ultimately compelled to choose between her army and her navy, a thing that Mr. Lloyd George apparently considers inevitable for all nati« v.3 on the Continent, the Medit-errpi.f-an situation thereby created "•» ill be anything but .satisfactory for England. The Unionist newspapers are making c.'.pita 1 of Mr. Lloyd George's inter-new. Thry declare that he has assumed the leadership of the Radical members of the. Liberal Party,, who are absolutely set again, Mr., Winstone Churchill's naval policy., The question whether Mr. Churchill will secede to the Unionists or form( a new party is being widely dis< cussed. The Standard asks whether Mr., Lloyd George is deliberately prodpitateng a break up of the Ca bines over the question of armament ■, preferring this to a collapse in a welter of failure over Ireland. The Daily Telegraph asks wha,b ig Mr. Lloyd George's goal, what situation he is engineering, whether ha is working with or against Mr. Churchill, and whether Mr. Asquith' regards the new development with! sympathy or external approval. The latter has hitherto been true to the Liberals' idea of Imperialism, but knows that a triumph of the policy hinted at by Mr. Lloyd Georg means a reeling blow to national security. Mr. Lloyd George's declaration sows distrust broadcast where there as confidence before.

The German paper Nachriehtea says it is positively ridiculous to talk of infinitely friendlier relations between England and Germany. The present relationship is not bad, buti that is all that can be said.