THE BRITISH NAVY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2463, 30 March 1909, Page 5

THE BRITISH NAVY.

LIBERAL POLITICIANS’ SPEECHES.

LIBERAL ASSOCIATION SNUBBED BY THE ELECTORS.

• United Press Association Copyright.

LONDON, March 23. Mr. Walter It unci man, President of tiie Board of Education, speaking at Colchester, denounced what he termed an artificially-inflated scare. He -declared that the British Navy was impregnable. No German Dreadnoughts were 3 T et afloat. Germany had only two-fifths of our number of available sailors. The Government’s motto on -naval affairs was “Safety without Sr.p--erfluity.”

Dr. T. J. MacNamara, M.P. for •Camberwell, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty, denied that there was any likelihood of Germany getting ahead of England by April, 1812. The margin occasionally was possibly small, but the Dreadnought .fleet and the Government’s programme fully assured national safety. Admiral Percy. Scott, in a speech, declared that the value of the fleet depends more on hitting power than on numbers. An Indomitable, with eightgnus, made double the number of hits -of a Dreadnought with ten guns. Lieutenant Bellairs, whom the Liberal Association repudiated, obtained at -a meeting of liis constituents a unanimous resolution of confidence, winch, declared that the anxiety for his country and the Empire regarding naval . supremacy proved liis warnings to be right, and he had earned the gratitude of his countrymen. [Lieutenant Carlyon Wilfroy Bellairs, Liberal M.P. for King’s Lynn, at a

meeting under the auspices of the Navy e-League moved a resolution regretting New Zealand’s offer had not been accepted, instead of being practically utilised to mitigate the expenditure in -1910. Apparently his patriotic conduct . led to his being repudiated by the Liberal Association,., and the snub which has been administered to that body by his constituents is a striking proof of how little the party at present in power represents the real public opinion ox the nation in regard to the question of the navy.] COMMONWEALTH PREMIER’S INTENTIONS. MAYOR OF SYDNEY CONGRATULATES NEW ZEALAND. •SYDNEY, March 2-9. Mr. Fisher’s policy -speech will probably indicate that the aim of the Government will be to provide in the/ course of time such a fleet in Australian waters that the Imperial squadron may be withdrawn, aftd that if the necessity arose the Australian navy may undertake the duty of patrolling the south Seas and policing the islandsr . He may indicate that as a start more torpedo boats and three or four submarines will be added to the boats already ordered. It is also, expected that he will declare in favor of a modified scheme of compulsory training. He is expected to propose either a laud or a property tax for defence purposes. The Lord Mayor, on-behalf of the , citizens of Sydney, has cabled to &ir Ward congratulating him. on the noble offer to Britain, a tiding, Australia has no. alternative huv to follow the lead.” >'THE “SPECTATOR’S” COMPLIMENT TO NEW ZEALAND. PROPOSED LABORITE MISSION TO GERMANY. (Received March 29, 11.50 p.m.) LONDON, March 29. The “Spectator” declares that no part of the Empire will grudge New Zealand the honor of leading the 'wayIt- is appropriate that the Island Dominion should first turn its thoughts to .ships. Mr. Keir Hardie, speaking at Merthyr Tydvil, said that the effect of Mr. Asquith’s speech in the House- of Commtons was .such as he had never seen before, resulting in a scare, making it ■easy for the Government to beat down ‘the opposition in our ranks to further • expenditure on the navy. He announced that 25 members-of the Labor party wore- going to Germany at Whitsuntide to toll the Germans —-“You and we have no quarrel.” PREMIER’S REPLY TO NATIONAL DEFENCE LEAGUE. [Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, March 29. The secretary of the National Defence League has received the following, reply from the Prime'Minister to the . resolution of the General- Council of the League approving oi New Zealand s gift of -a Dreadnought and urging the adoption of universal training m the /Dominion:— 1 “I am very much mdeUed the- General Council of the National League for their resolution or lonroval of the offer that has. been ’ made to. the] Imperia 1 authorities by • the New Zealand Government. 1 am /; also obliged for the expression of opi- ' nion, but at the moment I do not consider it desirable. . I am, however, alive to the necessity of giving tire Sneral position of the defence propos:/ls of our country the closest attention. ..—(Signed) J. G. Ward.

CABLE. NEW'S.