A REMARKABLE SPEECH.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 82, 20 November 1911, Page 5

A REMARKABLE SPEECH.

REGARDING ANGLO-GERMAN RELATIONS. BY BRITISH MVP. BRITISH FLEET UNPREPARED FOR WAR. London, November 19. Captain Faber, M.P., made a remarkable speech at Andover (Hants), alleging that when the Moroccan situation was acute the Cabinet was divided as to whether it would stick to France. Mr Lloyd-George resolutely upheld adhersion to France. The situation revealed Britain’s naval unpreparedness. Hence Mr Winston Churchill was appointed, and his subsequent conference with Lord Charles Beresford and the proposal for tiic creation of a war staff.

When the pinch occurred the British fleet wa.s divided. The first was in the South of England, the second in Ireland, gnd the third in Scotland. At that moment the Admiralty lost sight of the German fleet, and Cabinet did not know what was going on, but was aware that Germany might attach the fleets separately. fl ue Admiralty in charge of one part of the fleet knew there was grave danger, and asked the officer commanding to land his forces if tire fleet was safe under the cover of tho guns of the ports. He replied that if the forts fired, tire guns would hit the fleet instead of covering it. The Cabinet was wise enough to send Mr Churchill, their best man, to the Admiralty in this emergency, and Mr Churchill immediately wired to Admiral Sir John Fisher to return from Switzerland, and consulted with Lord Charles Beresford regarding a War Board, to see that there were no further mistakes respecting coal, and forts unable- to protect tho fleet. During the late crisis, when the relations of Franco and Germany were strained, the idea was to send six divisions of regulars to help France, which would have left Britain defenceless, except for her navy. Captain Faber’s speech explains the withdrawal of Lord Charles Beresford’s hook two days after his interview with Mr Churchill.

CAPTAIN FABER * CORRECTED. DIVISIONS NEVER OUT OF TOUCH WITH GERMANS. London, November 19. The “Oberver,” corrects Captain Faber in several particulars. It says that the licet divisions at Cromarty, Rosyth, and in the Channel were never out of touch with the German lleet’s movements. It adds that one division could have upheld it, as it consisted of fourteen ships, .three only being Dreadnoughts, whilst another division could have smashed it.