DEFENCE OF GREAT BRITAIN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1716, 18 January 1905, Page 20

DEFENCE OF GREAT BRITAIN.

NAVAL AND MILITARY REARMAMENT. GREAT SCHEMES OF REFORM. LONDON, January 13. In the course of a speech at the Scottish Unionists’ banquet at Glasgow the Prime Minister, Mr Balfour, said the Government was entitled to gratitude for strengthening the defences. It had done much towards executing completely the scheme of Lord Esher’s Commission. The real problem for the British Army, said Mr Balfour, arose at that point where alone there was possibility of convict with a great military empire—the army’s problem was the problem of Afghanistan’s defence. The military reorganisation of India, which was now being carried out by General Lord Kitchener, would almost double the efficiency without material addition to the forces.

Regarding the new gun recently decided upon, the Premier said that rearmament was costly, and required deliberation. No Continental nation would be able to bear the cost of such a scheme out of current expenditure. The army would be re-armed by March, 1907. Long before then, however, we should he in advance of most nations, and our guns better than those of any foreign country. Mr B'alfour emphasised the magnitude and importance of the Admiralty’s

re-arrangement of the fleet—augmenting the fighting power of the navy during the first twenty-four hours of possible hostilities not once, or twice, but threefold. This, added the Premier, was the biggest reform since the days of Nelson. LONDON, January 12. Naval twelve-pounder quick-firers, weighing 18cwt, will shortly replace the existing twelve-pounder quickfirers weighing 12cwt. The new guns have improved breechblocks, enabling more rounds to be fired per minute with greater velocity and accuracy and at higher range.