THE BRITISH NAVAL ESTIMATES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10101, 19 March 1909, Page 3

THE BRITISH NAVAL ESTIMATES.

r BT ELECTRIC TELEOBAPH-COFTBIOHT.] (Pes Press Association.) Received March 18, at. 9-38 p.m. London, March 18. The profound effect of the naval state *;' r. on doa is re-echoed in the prom . Th- Cniomst papers insist that V ' n 'vV,-L -Th-e.ul nought" should be put on "J 1 'ti inmiediatelv. The Radicals aa- ' , *.h it it is necessary that the Governn' f '.oiild have a tree hand, but state "i ill reform will receive a set-back. '"'tri'the' House «f Commons Mr Arthur I l i'vil Lord of the Admiralty m the ftlf ur Government, said the nation demand that the Government at jrder ••iv.-bt "Dreadnoughts. Ihe llm-iovces of Krtipps' Works were increas- ? l t„" 35.0C0 hat year. All the present 1 ~ble was due to the Government not "n-vin" out Karl Cawdor's programmer. Vfr \ 11-irvev announced that lie did not to move the Reduction of Arn-.a-!™!nts" Committees amendment. -Mr u'Vannra dwelt on the value ot pre-ii.X'm-ht battleships. -Messrs Dillon ~ rfl-tuiersoii accused the -Government to th'e panic-monger,- ' ■ " l Berlin, March Id. Th- English navy debate ha* aroused ,-reat" interest here. The German Pres.-, Lover, is sparing in its comments. Tl». Neii.ste Naehrichteu, the organ of t i v N;ivv Leairue. is incensed at Germany int.riri""' Britain tliat --he does, not iut(.ji,l t-"hasten iter rate ofconstruction, -ad , hairacterises the supplying of this information a.- regrettable weakuess._ Vdmiral von Tirpitz, speaking in the ivi. h.s'■!"■ stated that in the autumn of VW G-riiuinv would have onlv 13 "Dreadn'.nuVits" and "Invincibles." He did not li,'ii.m on what ground Mr M'Kenna had arrived at the larger figure. No proposal f„r disarmament had been made to manyKe.eived March 10. at 3.45 a.m. London. March 13. The H.iilv News ami .Manchester Guar-d-in d-cl.uv that Admiral von Tirpitz's ,|.'.„ial disno** of all the conjectures whereon the navy deoate wis ba.-ed. Mr Frederick Harrison, leader of the Piiirivists. writing in the Times, said thev art- opposed to all foniLS bf_ mill; tarism. but warmly support the taking of e'verv possible precaution on sea and land against Germany. In the House of Commons. Mr M'Kenna, it replvLmi. stated that at Woolwich, Britain had IT shipbuilding slips, and two others capable of adoption for warship purposes, received March 19. at 11.20 a.m. Loudon, March 18. Lord Uosebery, in a letter to The Tunes, declares "that while the naval announcement is most critical the navy is in a sense secure because the nation will vote 'all that is possible directly it realises that the' navy'? predominance is threatened. But impervioiisness to invasion being relegated to the region of doubt raises the problem as to whether the Territorials are siHkient for home defence. Received March 19. at 10.40 a.m. Sydney. March 19. Public m-ri-take a serious view of the naval situation a.- disclosed in .Mr M'Kenna'.- statement and its bearing on Australia. Mr .Fisher states, that at the Premiers' Conference he drew attention to the present state of F.uropeau politics, ami stated that the danger of invasion aiiirbt demand that the whole of the return's c.i the country should he used. The Daily Telegraph suggests that in -lie event of the "tension over the naval eituaJi'ou liecomiug sharper, if Australia and Canada, as the leaders amongst colonial countries, each offer the Admiralty the cost of a "Dreadnought." what a SCTiticaut intimation it would be to the nations that t'uese comparatively rich i-otuig dominions would be quick to reinforce the Motherland for any emergency. The cost would lie relatively small ir.d the force of example tremendous. ■The Sydney Morning Herald, recognis- | *f the significance of The position to Austria, says: "While we can be grateful Sit the Mother Country is facing the facts with traditional courage, we must in deceiuy sing-small until wi-cun feel that we are doing our fair share towards keeping the national home together.