The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1909. REDUCTION OF ARMAMENTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 14004, 13 September 1909, Page 4

The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1909. REDUCTION OF ARMAMENTS.

Viewed in the light «l' the spirited discussion in the House of Commons on the 2(ith July lust on naval matters,,the cable messayo wc published on Saturday,, that the Prime Minister of Hj-itain would welcome any, intimation of Germany's desire for an agreement regarding a reduction, of armaments, is interesting reading. The matter under, discussion in the House of Commons on that date was " more ships for the Navv," - and a remarkable, phase of it was the note struck by Mr John Kllis, one of the most iniluentitl private members oh the Liberal side, and' a leader of the group known >as the ''pacifists." Mr Kllis is a. groat lover of peace, - and lie. complained rather bitterly of the remarks made by ■Mr Arthur Lee, the Naval expert vf flic Opiwisition, on the .Government's failure to keen their promise in the matter of -'building eight instead of four Dreadnoughts. It was such -speeches as INTr Lee's, remarked Mr Kllis, that did so much harm in' creating a navy scare. Such a scare, added Mr Ellis, was unworthy of Britain. Speaking ■generally, and as from the sentimental jKiint of -view, Air Asquith, the,: .Prime Minister, said that .lie agreed with : Mv E11,,; and lie did not believe there was ■a .more /wasteful form, of expenditure going on in > the world, or. ylie .whicli tended more to' arrest the course of progress and promote bad instead of good ieehng among nations, than expenditure on the Army and Nuv>. It •'■will.'thus-be seen that Mi- Asquith is : cordiallv inclined to listen favourably to any proposal relating to a reduction, of armaments. The reference to Germany is a sequence to what transpired in the Commons, for Mr Asquith, after remarking tliat "there is not between lis arid Germany at this moment any cause of quarrel of any. sort or kind throughout the length and breadth of the civilised world,", added that Britain's naval programme had to be determined by some standard, and they had to keep an eye upon what Germany, France, and some other nations were doing. During three years past liis Government, had tried to get these nations to stay their hand, but all their efforts had hitherto been, in vain. At the present time the door was still open, and tliey were pager to come to some arrangement with other Powers, which would avoid the. necessity .for his partv coming to the ITovsc of Commons year after yenr/wMi demands which were, as unwelcome to Government as they were to any member 'iif the House. ' As the nations now , stand, however, Mr Asquith unvaor.l- i ably took: up the ground that the, Nnvy must he kept strong enough to proto t the British isles and the Umpire from "very., risk.