THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, MAY 17, 1912. THE NAVAL RIVALRY.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13419, 17 May 1912, Page 4

THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, MAY 17, 1912. THE NAVAL RIVALRY.

The announcement of the First Lord of the Admiralty that it will bo necessary for him to lay supplementary naval estimates before Parliament was not unexpected. Germany having declined to adopt the suggestion Mr Churchill throw out in his great speech in March last, in introducing the Naval Estimates, a further provision by Britain to maintain the margin of safety then laid down as essential must follow as a matter of course, much as additional expenditure on armaments is to be regretted. Mr Churchill, it will bo remombered, expounded Britain's naval policy in no uncertain, though in a porfectly courteous and friendly way, and his speech could leave no doubt as to the Admiralty's determination to maintain at any cost the ratio of naval strength it considered the safety of the Empire demanded. Ho reminded the House that when tho two-Power standard was adopted for new construction the navies against which we built wero France and Russia. Now we had no longer to contemplate as our greatest danger the alliance between those two Powers; we had to face the growth and development of a very strong homogeneous navy concentrated within easy distance of our shores; and the time had come for a readjustment of our standards. Tho Admiralty's standard of new construction had been the development of a 60 per cant superiority in Dreadnoughts over tho German Navy on tho basis of the existing Fleet Law, and if that law were adhered to this standard, in tho absence of unexpected developments by other countries, would continue to be a convenient guide for the next four or live years. Hereafter, however, the First Lord said, our ratio of now construction would probably have to exceed the 60 per cent standard. Mr Churchill plainly anticipated increased activity on the part of Germany, and declared that the Admiralty proposed to meet any addition upon a higher ratio of superiority. Were Britain confronted with three additional ships sho should lay down six. "Or. tho other hand," he continued, amid cliccrs, "any limitation—-of Germany's programme would be followed here by a proportionate reduction. All sieving down by Germany would be imitated by us.. So .the position was this: Germany would bo no gainer as against us by any increase that might bo made, and no loser, by any diminution. Hero in fact was a simple arrangement by which the costly rivalry could be at any time abated." Germany's reply to this proposal

was disappointing. Tho Defence Bills which were introduced about the same time in the Reichstag provided for heavy increases in naval and military >exponditure. Under the Bills. Germany will lay down during the next six "years throe additional battle-cruisers in alternate years, commencing in 1913, in addition to tho twelve ships of tho. Dreadnought typo, twelve protected cruisers, and seventy-two destroyers, provided for under the present Navy Law, and a larger number of submarines than ever before. The now Bill also makes provision for constituting a now battle squadron of the High Sea Fleet (tho'Third), with tho necessary allied cruisers and torpedo craft, thus adding approximately one-third to the number of vessels now in sea-going commission. Steps will simultaneously bo taken to authorise tho raising, year by year, of sufficient officers and men for this now division of tho High Sea Fleet, increasing tho number ot' officors and men from 60,805 to about 80,000. Tho publication of tho Gorman Defence Bills therefore made it certain that Mr Churchill would shortly give effect to tho declaration contained in his speech on the Estimates. It does not necessarily follow from tho Gorman Government's increased programme that the friendly relations of tho two countries will be liable to disturbance': Britain has an object in maintaining an impregnable supremacy at sea which Germany has not Her very national existence depends upon her Navy, while tho Gorman Navy is of comparatively recent growth, and is not demanded by tho same considerations. Drastic increases in. Gorman expenditure on armaments at present, however, possess a political significance which must not be overlooked. The recont elections in Germany resulted in the victory of tho party opposed to tile Government's naval policy and favouring the maintenance of cordial relations with Britain and other Powers. The Defence Bills constitute a direct challenge to tho peace- party, and nro probably tho prelude of another campaign in tho country, in which defence would be practically tho solo issue. The immediate effc'-cf. of tho action, however, is to plungo Britain into further heavy expenditure to maintain a safe position in a struggle which is already terribly burdensome.