[BRITAIN AND GERMANY

Otago Witness, Issue 2811, 26 August 1908, Page 19

[BRITAIN AND GERMANY

- QUESTION J OF AIRMAMENTS.V ! «,'--" LONDON, August 17. ?Tbe Times says' that Great Britain's foreign policy is too gravely, vital- .to be x-emoved from its high plane of statesmanlike, guidance by inexperienced politicians. iThe Standard accuses Mr Lloyd-George and Mr Winston Churchill of assuming charge, of foreign affairs with a view to ousting Six" E. Grey.. . . ' August 18. The entire Unionist press censures Mr Churchill and Mr Lloyd^George for interfering Tsith Sir E. Grey's department. August 19. •Mr Lloyd-Georg«, in a message to the Chronicle, indignantly repels the-Stand-aTd'6 accusation against Mr Winston Churchill and himself, and expresses his admiration for Sir E. Grey. _He says he has unbounded confidence in' Sir E. - Grey's great capacity for dealing with the comjplex and difficult problems confronting Britain. * ■ August 20. "On the grounds that the foreign editor of .theJVoseische Zeitung is an old friend of. Prince Bulow and that his newspaper is often utilised -to announce events less formally ' than- semiofficially, the - Daily Telegraph's Berlin correspondent credits the statements it makes that Sir C. Hardinge had intimated while at Kronberg that it was Great" Britain's intention to introduce a bill to arrange for a iour-years' shipbuilding programme, and that the m Kaiser had replied that the step would not be regarded with animosity by Germany and would not provoke countermeasures. The correspondent add*- that the myth of Great Britain's so-called isolated policy is exploded, and that -the whole account of the interview points to a fundamental change in Germany's attitude towards Great Britain. August 22. .' The" German authorities are furnishing Mr, Lloyd-George with much information relating to pensions and labour legislation generally. 'Mr TJoyd-George informed the Daily Mail that he went to Berlin exclusively on. pension business. PARIS, August 18. French newspapers re-echo the British opinion that the situation towards less and an ultimate halt in shipbuilding, if it is to come, must now be left to develop from the German end. BERLIN, August 17. Prince yon Bulow's organ hints that a -- premature 'agitation in favour of dis--is calculated to impecla British and German efforts to understand tho aims of each other's naval policy.' ' - August 18. .^•-German Conservative newspapers are irf 1 declaring that Germany cannotf' even consider the question of allowing the ideas of another Power to influence her armaments. August 21. . Mr Lloyd-George has arrived at Berlin. His secretary asserts that it is not a political mission. No proposals are to be made., but the visit is not without political .significance. -Mr Asquith and Sir Edward Grey have had prolonged interviews with Sir Charles Hardinge since the latter's return from Germany. (From Ova Own Cobbzspokdent.l LONDON, July 10. . A more serious question than the relations even of two distinguished officers— the First Sea Lord and Lord Charles Beresfbrd — is now engaging the attention of the Admiralty. It will be recollected that early in the year the Prime Minister stated that if Germany pursued what I may describe as an aggressive ship-building policy this' country would have to lay down more battleshipsr The information in possession of the Admiralty ie that, far from making any response to the advices of this country for an understanding on the question of naval construction, Germany is building more rapidly than before.' It *is not possible at present to obtain exact information, but the Admiralty has information that Germany is pushing forward the construction of ships already on" the stocks, and is preparing to put down more. In these ciroumstances a revised naval policy becomes almost a necessity. Whether the Government can put off any larger scheme of construction till next year remains to be seen, but, in any case, it will have to make a statement on the subject before the House adjourns.