ADMIRALTY AND CABINET

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19366, 24 July 1925, Page 5

ADMIRALTY AND CABINET

MOMENTOUS TWO HOURS MEETING i\c*i July 2 p.ni. LONDON. July 23. | Th-* most reliable accounts of a mo-i T'*'n two-hour Cabinet meeting ■ < ’hat the mi'.ser crisis has ended donation has been averted by . i.-ion to lay down seven ships :•» two ’curs. There was some diver-; - r< e whether it should be four this year and three next or vice versa, but :t i* 'oeli.-x J the former proportion •t<i''p;ed. The settlement is un-<in-i-naldv tin* sequel 1o a severe! <ir:...gl' b. tween the lion. W. ' Br grman. repre.-enting the full! v-:-h: * f Admiralty opinion, and Mr. i ’• hur* hill. representing his own Budget 1 aims an-! o-onomists generally, it was! agreed that one of the factors for set-: • lenient was the necessity for avoiding; : ’ abinet *plit in the face of the coal' . THE CRISIS ENDED i HIGHEST INFLUENCES BROUGHT TO BEAR Jb ■■• ■ 1 J JO.IO p.m. LOX DON. Julv 23. The Daily Expn-J lobbyist says the • ru:*« r crisis ended to night when Cab- | inct devajed that four cruisers be laid] v. n. two immediately and two at the | • n<i • f the financial year but that none I ■ th-- bills for them be presented till . th-* next financial year. There will bo) re. resignations. The highest influ- ; ri'.-rs were brought to bear to prevent j Admiralty resignations. “A CLOSE SHAVE” MORNING Post \TTACKP MR j < HCR. HU.I. I “DTD HIS REST 'l-0 CREATE DISUNITY." Deceived July 23, 5.30 p.m. LONDON. July 23. Th 7 ' M rr.ing 80-: observes: The A- ; rair- is satisfied and .Mr Bridgeman remain-* on the bridge. Like Jul-ian-1. ;i has been a 'dose shave. r h« P»»«t. in an editorial, proceeds to return t<» the attack on Mr Churchill, it -avs Mr Churchill, in following the hai ; -al pr'-c-'ieut. attempted—nnd -i - to r\iT' i*e his scheme for ccon O', von the navy. He has done his be>l t > .-rente disunity in tin' Cabin'd, to compel the resignation of Mr Bridge-;.--‘n and even to embarrass the Prime Minister. For what purpose Mr Church ill <-hi'M- a course of action so extraordinary the public may decide. Had ! h<- succeeded the result must have been >ii»u> to the Government. In -a previous editorial headed, ••p.ot m Cabinet.’’ the Post said: I; L impossible to suppose that either Mr < bur- hili or bi* allies care very much i

THE CRISIS ENDED CRUISERS TO BE LAID DOWN The British Admiralty demanded that four cruisers be laid down at once, but Mr. Churchill. Chancellor of the Exchequer, resolutely opposed more than two cruisers this year and two-three next year. The argument caused a first-rate political crisis, Mr. Bridgeman and the Board of Admiralty threatening to resign, which would have been a deadly blow to the British Government. However, the Admiralty is going to have its way. Seven ships are to be laid down in two years, most likely four thi.~ year and three next year. The Morning Post makes a vehement attacK on Mr. Churchill who, it is suggested, plotted to wreck the Cab. By Telegraph— Ter Press Assn.—Copyright. -

LONDON PRESS COMMENTS Received Julv 23. -NJO p.m. LONDON, July 28. The Daily Mail, in an editorial, says: j The Admiralty seemingly had its own wav and overcame Mr. Churchill’s resistance. Unfortunately, experiences show that the promises of extravagant departments to economise cannot be trusted. '[’he Daily Mail says-: The proper ■ course would have been to insist on the Admiralty first reducing its expenditure and then, when cuts had duly been I made, to consider a request for a large new cruiser programme on its merits. Th-' po'icy actually adopted is the ' spending of more public money. The I taxpayer has only too much reason to • fear he w ill be informed next year that no economies can bo made and taxes

i must therefore be heavily increased. The Daily Telegraph’s Parliamentary (correspondent says: The Admiralty’s i contention is that economies arc io be , enforced. They can be achieved with ' less risk than the postponement of the ) replacement of essential ships. Dc- , ficiencios in other respects can be met in times of emergency by improvising, I but it is impossible to improvise ships. I The Daily News says the Admiralty won partly through the active aid and countenance extended to them in sympathetic high quarters; partly owing I to the fact that the Hon. AV. C. BridgeIman was prepared to resign if the dc(mands were refused, whereas the Hon. | Churchill was not prepared to resign lif they were granted; and partly because the minority of the Cabinet who have been resisting the Admiralty are i not really economists. The result is llhat the race in armaments so far as j the sea is concerned is now to begin I again. ! The Daily Express says the Hon. AV. ;C. Bridgeman in the course of the negotiations actually resigned and rci fused to reconsider his resignation I until ho had carried his point. It is believed the money required will be obI tainod by scrapping the dockyards at I Pembroke. (’hatham and Gibraltar. I The Daily Express says the Admir- ! ally pointed out. that of vessels built to I steam thirty knots and over Britain has six. the United States and Japan sixteen. Moreover, of fifty-one British cruisers of the war and pre-war design, only two have the necessary speed and sea-keeping qualities to protect trade from attacks by cruisers of post-war design. The Westminster Gazette remarks that the Admiralty view means, bluntly. that everv friendly Power is 1o be if rented henceforth as a potential enemy This applies at all (’vents to cruiser competition which is said to stand outside Ihf» one-power standard supposed to have been accepted for other ships.

■whether 5 or 50 cruisers, or none, arc ordered, but if Mr Bridgeman can be forced to resign the'credit of Mr Bald win’s Ministry would receive a deadly blow, and events might be so guided that Mr Baldwin himself would resign, in which case :i coalition would ag'l-i) ibe forced on the country.)