The German Navy

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 14074, 4 December 1909, Page 3 (Supplement)

The German Navy

WHAT IS IT FOR? The London Spectator points out that it has been reproached for saying that German ships are built to l-.ght British ships, as though it h.ul said something quite indelicate: "Yet Germany intends them, of '.ours-.?, for that purpose. We do not mean for ;i moment, and have never asserted, tf.at Germany contemplates an unprovoked attack upon us. Yet, if iier navy is increased to such a strength t!i;.t it passes that of all other navies o; cept ours, it is plainly meant to engage ours if necessary. To suppose otherwise is to suppose that the German navy is composed, not of fighting ships, but of floating museums or excursion -steamers, and we do not imagine t!;at Germans would think we were pavin" them a compliment if we supposed that. But what would Jead to the employment of the German r.m-v agamst. the British naw? It is not even necessary to assume a war Sunpose a dispute arose between Britain and Germany m which our conscien-o allowed no concession—a dispute about what seemed to us a matter of culinary justice and right dealing an.] Germany threatened ps with tho ultima ratio, wo should ], n vo lo«t ,11 our pouer for negotiating—which is tho e\en equal to ~,p-s < on par , or .> nl]r command at son will ho gone. n, fl,o exchange of overy diplomatic Note the G™ n nnvv w ,. r11 , ( ,- )ip ]wtenti „ hght.ng o„rs. U ,- s f„]| v . Ihp S]lcr . tn . tor adds to delude ourselves' into thinking that the Gorman navy would ho used diffcrentlv.