THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1909. THE GREAT DUEL IN NAVAL CONSTRUCTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3134, 10 March 1909, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1909. THE GREAT DUEL IN NAVAL CONSTRUCTION.

The recent rumour that there was a split in the British Cabinet on the subject of the proposed heavy increase in naval construction evidently was not altogether a shot in the dark, since it is now reported that the general committee of the National Liberal Federation has passed resolutions reaffirming the principle of economy in military and naval expenditure, and also declaring that there is no evidence at present before the country which would justify the suggested increase in the naval expenditure. But Mr Asquith has apparently been able to convince Mr LloydGeorge and Mr Winston Churchill, the two most determined Ministerial opponents of increased naval expenditure, that be had ample justification for his promise to maintain the

British Navy in such £ condition thfct it will be 10 per cent, stronger in 3 capital ships than the navies of the j ] two next strongest Powers com- , bined. Nor indeed is there anything in the resolutions carried by the , National Liberal Federation which i cannot bs reconciled with Mr As- ' quith's position. To reaffirm the prin- J ciplp of ecommy in military and naval expenditure is a carefully guarded non-committal resolution, which woulrl come with equal propriety from any political party. And to say that there is no evidence before the country, which would justify the increased expenditure on armaments, is quite inconclusive. There are many reasons why such evidence could not be placed before the country, though the Government might be in possession of it. Every Government is in possession of a great deal of information which it would be quite impossible to place before the country, except at the imminent risk of prumoting the very catastrophe which it is seeking to guard against. And there is this much to justify the determination of the Lords of the Admiralty to pursue a policy of largely increased battleship construction, and this much also to warrant Mr Asquith infirmly enforcing the recommendations ol the Government's expert advisers—namely, that according to a statement which remains uncontradicted, Germany launched during 1908 four large battleships, one large armoured cruiser, and two protected cruisers, as against Great Britain's two large battleships, the Collingwood and the St. Vincent, and one small protected cruiser, the German ships totalling 94,900 tons and the British ships totalling 45,400 tons. This is the first time that Germany has passed Great Britain in ships launched during the year, and the fact suggests that the Lords of the Admiralty and Mr Asquith are only showing common prudence in determining to correct the discrepancy on the British side as soon as possible.