PEACE PRELIMINARIES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 11761, 22 February 1919, Page 5

PEACE PRELIMINARIES.

REACH FINAL STAGE.

GERMAN NAVAL POWER DESTROYED

United Service,

Paris, February 19,

The main clause of the Allies’ terms, which have reached the final stage for inclusion in the Peace preliminaries, will be found of dramatic interest. They have not only drastically destroyed the last remnants of German naval powers, but also show how the respective navies fare under the League of Nations. Germany will be compelled to hand over immediately eight more battleshpis, including the Oldenburg and Heligoland and others in their classes; eight cruisers of the Strassburg class; forty-one modern destroyers, and fifty torpedo-boats, as well as all remaining submarines. All sorts of warships’ construction must be torpedoed, and vessels under construction or repair will he broken up under British supervision. Ail the abov® ships are to he destroyed within three months, and the submarines within fifteen days. The intention seems to be to burn into the German mind that the guns have failed them. Auxiliary cruisers are to be dismantled, of warlike material, which will be destroyed, and the ships then, as ordinary merchantmen!:, included in the list of prizes which will he considered as payment of reparation. Material commercially useful will be saved, hut anything that cannot be utilised will be sunk or exploded. Thus ends Germany’s naval ambitions. She will be reduced to a few warships, about euough to police her dwindling coastline, and there is where Powers forming the initial League of Nations means to keep her The scale of construction permitted her will be narrow. How other navies wilt stand under the League covenant is indefinite, but it obviously £ forecasts reductions. The Allies would have divided the German fleet amongst themselves intsead of destroying it had this imperative demand for saving money on armaments not been recognised. The decision to destroy the German Fleet has still to be finally ratified, but though it is certain this course will be followed, obviously the British, American, Japanese and French Navies will remain the only great fleets, and some nebulous understanding already exists concerning their respective strength. There need he no trepidation that the British policy will surrender predominance. The British delegate recognises it is vital to sustain British naval power in spite of the League of Nations, Britain will probably be found willing, even eager, to reduce her nary to prewar strength. In other words, war accretion will probably be given up. This may be taken as practically decided. The question being coagiiered is: What will be done with these flee ships no longer desired by - the Admiralty? answer to this important aa4 interesting question is in the Dominions’ policy and desii'es, and the League wonld most certainly approve that these vessels he handed to the Dominions for Dominion navies. New Zealand and South Africa would institute local navias. All old distrusts of separate Dominion navies seems to have disappeared. The general question of the re-distribu-tion of the cost of the general defence of the Empire will be brought up at the Imperial Conference in London immediately after the Feace Congress. This thorny subject, which is full of difficulties, might largely be settled beforehand if the Dominions accept responsibility for the cost of maintaining local navies. It is believed NewZesland and South Atrjca hove already been sounded. Indeed a New Zealand navy seems like an eventuality.