NAVAL NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15350, 13 January 1912, Page 7

NAVAL NOTES

(Contributed by »tho XaTy League, Otago Draiieh.J THIS COMMAND 01'' TUB SliA. England and Germany are, and liavo been for some time, tic war with «ieii other. This, in plarii terms, Ls what responsible statesmen are uuyuig in moro or kw explicit language, Mr tieorgu Wytidham, .U.i\, for example, .-i|ivuhing as u former Minister of tliu Crown, said. i»i tiio occasion of the celebration uf Trafulgur Day, thul during the last six years tho command of the sea whicli Nelson sic-ured lor it* for 100 years had been challenged. With a lull sensu of a-spoiusibility he woukl adtl tluit auj'body whoo iiiukl wils .iwuko must liavo rciiliaed during the last lewweeks that at any moment it might be tJio duty of this country, if sho were to di«!wrge her mission, tu «!iid u largo e.xpuditiotiary torou abroad. Did the, mmon realise what that meant? lie buliuved tho first duty of say pulilio man to bo to face tliotu new factois, not to hido them from his fellow countrymen, and not to conceal the sacrifices which they might in duty bo tailed upon Uj make if tho iliingCM wltii'Ji lit) saw wore lo bo averted. -(Cheers.) AN INMKFEIIUNT I'IMPLE. It is iiwr« limit doubtful whether the people, of tiio .Motherland or of the selfgoverning ixilonies of thu British l-hniiiro tki ntognist! the seriou.siiLW.s of the existing international «ituution or have more than the liaziest and vaguest idea of what the imssible ouuvnio may mean to lliotil. Nothing, perhaps, siiort of a shot from (i 13.5 gun dropped in the heart of a big city warehouse will miako «)iue folks rwtlifie thu scriousuess of their |H»ition. How many know, and how many believe, thai war with Germany was. 11 possibility hist July'/ And how many trouble to impure wliat is meant by "competition in Dreadnoughts," and how mauy are there who attempt to picture to themselves what these soutliorii oversea dominions would bo away from the British Hag J AN' EVKRPRISBKNT MENACE. The formidable German fleet was called into being for tlie cole purpose, \\m '" Germanv must have a lleet of t-uch stroitgth that, even for the mightiest naval Power, a war with her would involve such risks as to jeojiardiso its own supremacy.]' Since thu-u words were writ ton this navy has bc.ome a reality. Today Germany has- a navy that is second only to that of Grent Britain. But wo continue, tave spasmodically, to ignore it, and when some English 'profissor talks, as one did quite recently, almut making terms with Germany by banding over to her keeping oiie-hulf tho continent of Australia, we laugh him to scorn. Why? NOT A NEW PRGPO-UTinX. There is nothing verv stattling to European ours in the proposal. It was seriously put forward as a way out of the ever-recurring Angki<leriiniii crisiu long More it was taken under the wing of aii English fprofc.'Mir. I/xst Novemlier the Vienna correspondent of The Time.; ndvised that an Ani'lo-fierman world trust was being sugge.ded by w-iy of preliminary to an agreement for the limitation of naval armaiiv-nts. The corre.s|«mdent. in thu Austrian capital staled thai the main idea' iras that. Kmrbnd must give Germany soiue solid proofs of goodwill ,i,s a bi'si, of cooperation in colonial and social (pieslions. " Tho saerilice of tiome fragments of tho vast colonial possessions with v.-li-England is saturated: a guarantee that no British markets shall now, or in future, In; closed lo German trade «.>r limited by the adoption of preferential Ncills. and a general acceptance of the dnririne that Germany is entitled b a ' tilaw in the pun' ooumieiisiir.tti with her population and military strength, were ,-e: forth 11s on acceptable basis for an understanding." Krom another sutirco it appears that Germany would lie prepared to agree to Great Britain possessing one imd one-third keels toovery keel under the German Hag. Under this generous concrnsion. lifter Ihe Admiralty had made provision for Ihe defence of British interests in the Mediterranean, the Kast. Indies. China, and the Cape, the British forces available in Koine waters would be very considerably weaker than those of Germany. The whole theory of .such a nnvnl nsnvmont is itn iilwtrdily. If the British people wish to retain their naval supremacy they must lie prepared to pay the nrioo in (lie open market of the world. There is no alternative, although it may lie pos-siblo to look forward lo tlr time when the Gorman neoplo will regard England with less unfriendly feelings, and Tealiso that the supremacy of the British fleet will lie maintained. co.=t what it may. THE GERMAN STANM)I'III.\T. Germany and Germans, even tho most friendly ard unprejudiced, are. apparently, mirib'-o to nndomtand the British view ;>oint. This was niado m.niiest by the r."oeption aocorde<l to Sir Edward Grey's noteworthy speech in the IIoi;s.-> of Commons on November 27 last. Germans woro angry and mvstiliod 'hec-aus-. the Koreign Kecrrtary publieiy a'tioeiated himself with Mr Lloyd George's declaration at the Mansion House, and look upon himself his sharo of responsibility therefor. Baron von frdlitr., tho London corTespondoat of the Berliner Lokalamcii;er. in an inlorviow with the Daily Chronicle, said: — Greai Britain is not content to be primus inter' pans on the sea, a right which nobody disputes with her. She wants to remain " brutally "—as English sliitesmea liavo characterised her position—superior on tiio,ecu. Naval Eng-

land does not concedo lo any of tho other nations tho soma right of armament on tho w:v which military Germany does not grudgo to any of hor neighbours on land. She want* to remuin tlio absolute dictator of tho ooenn. If, as in tho rase of Germany, another nation builds a sudicient mndvr of ships only to enable tar lo resist this dictatorship (that is lo say not to leavo hor colonies and all Iter oversea interests lo England's mercy) fiho im,putc.-i einwtor airirrcHiivo motives to hor. . . . fn the proanrblo of our Navn! Act tho aim of tim policy is loyally slated: Wo want to hrcomo so strong on sea that even tho mightiest oppcncjit shall have to think twice before attacking us. This is confident fiufiicient ground for Kogli'Ji suppositions of Gorman agsriv\ssivcn«s. It m.mmi>« lo mo that heroin lies tlw entire, crux of the present Anglo-German relations, and that Kir Kdward orev's great, speech does rath.or littlo to dispose of it. Tim wonder that German stuyathomcs should beliwvo in England's sinister designs largely «9(«s when inlolliont Germans who livo in liondon are thus blind to the significance ami effect of I'licir own country'*; foreign and naval ;x>!k>y. WHAT REMAINS? Simply this: England iuid the Empire can do nothing but accept tho challenge that Germany has made, while the dwellers in Australia mid NW Zealand should cease, whether light-heartedly or scornfully or ignorantly, to l:mpJt awny the talk that their homes and lln-ir land manv sau.o day pn»« under au alien flag. A MATTRR OF DREADNOUGHTS. 'Ilw issue, it is said, will in th« hist resort bo willed by thai type of battlesh:;> known as the Dreadnought, of which the first was !amicb.:<l 1«3 than ?h .wars ago. Now every nation is building t'heni. iiKirer. and yet biggvr. Mps. hi- and yet biggur cutis, continue to he piled up threateningly over against each other, I'ut in tabulated form the list « as follows:-

How stands tlio Old Lund? I/ord Brassoy, no mean authority, supplies an answer. Speaking rirontly at Dover h« gave, a rofrc.diingly rlnorinß nnrl indirect, reply lo I hi) Falters and Itorcsfords who, for our sins, arc always with us. The present year, ho said. was an absolilt" roford for naval construction, In the cm rout 12 months six Dreadnoughts had passed inlo the wviiv; more similar vesse.s had taken the water; and seven moro had heeti laid down. Twenty-one i!rcndnnu:;!iU was a pretty considerable number '.«:• 12 months.—(Cheers.) During his went cruise in tlin fiunlwnm he had tiivn in touch at l.amlash with the first division of the homo Heel, in Crotnartv with Admiral Bridpeman's division rf t.lm"|. fleet, anil in tlio Firth nf Forth with Admiral Cannon's second division of the homo Hoot, and wherever he had he:m he hud seen the same assiduity, isirnostnoss, devotion, and zoal in carrying out. tho instruction of tho Na,vy.--(Clicnrs.) At tnis period of the year, witJi battle practice going on, the work was very serious and Rolf-donyinj. The fleotA worn out nil day, and battle practice quarters wero continually going on at night. Thcro wero no crowds on l!io ahoro, and no reporters present—(laughter)—the only actuating forco was tho rcrolvo to ho efficient, a resolve which actuated all ranks. — (Cheers.) liethor ho looked to ships or training or any other points of comparison ho was justified in giving u, reassuring statement.— (Cheers.) Tho moro established thestrongth of tho Uritish Navy was, the more competent wo should bo in tho preservation of tho poaco of tho world.—(Choors.) "Tllfl ttKTKAYAL." Tho withdrawal on the. eve o[ publication by liOril Charles Hen-sford of his naval "shocker" tempted "Mr Toby, M.P." (Sir 11. \V. 1/iicy) to cbafT his former host. Mo rccounls liow Ihn liook was written, how it was to bo published on a certain date, how it was withdrawn, and then ho roprrjnnU himself as owloJivmiriiiß lo clear up the mystery by buttonholing 1/ird Charles in the House of Commons. "What (lom it till mean?" I nskod him. "Why, it moans' I must think more of (be Navy thaji of myself or of my opinions," answered tlio proud patriot. " Hut weren't, you thinking of tlio Navy when you wroto tho book?" "Now go away forrad, and don't ask awkward questions." Natural rostilt of episode is lhal evnrynno is talking of jlm book. If it. wero issued just now Marie Corrclli wouldn't be ■ 'ho running in tho matter of sale. KflVcl will remain when if over it is published. Curious to note in lobby this afternoon, muster of loading publishers. Never sawso many foregather at same time in one place. Think they have picked up a thing oy (wo altout advertising forthcoming books. Confess they are proud to fit at tho feet of u retired admiral.

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