THE BRITISH NAVY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2467, 3 April 1909, Page 5

THE BRITISH NAVY.

THE AUSTRALIAN DREADNOUGHT PBEMATDItE THANKS. United Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, April i. . The “Chronicle”: publishes a Melbourne telegram, stating that the Earl of Crewe’s thanks for an Australian Dreadnought are premature, as no such offer has been made. It adds: “Public opinion was mere divided last week owing to the English Conservatives using the crisis for party purposes.” ( SPEECHES THROUGHOUT ENGLAND. OFFER OF DREADNOUGHTS WARMLY ACCEPTED. . LONDON, April 1. Mr Haldane, Minister for War, speaking at-Kensington, was interrupted with cries of “More Dreadnoughts I” The Earl of- Crewe, speaking at Leicester, accused the Opposition of panicmongering. He denied that there were Cabinet dissensions. He declared that the Government intended to keep ahead Of Germany in shipbuilding, but to overbuild would be a blunder, almost a crime, because if the national armaments were excessive, it would cause greater provocation to other countries. The Government had warmly accepted the colonies’ offer of a Dreadnought. Mr Berber Samuel, Under-Secretary for the Home Department, speaking at Lambeth, said that everybody realised that England must outbuild foreign countries, and she was determined to outbuild them. NEW ZEALAND’S OFFER. IMPORTANT STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. (Special to “Times.”) WELLINGTON, April 2. The Dreadnought offer from New Zealand and the future defences of the Dominion were the subject of an exccedinglv important statement by the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward), at Upper Hint to-night. He said that at a time of crisis, the Government offered to the Old Country, to which we were all devoted, the gift of the cost of a battleship, or, should circumstances require it, a second if it were proved to be necessary.' (Loud applause.) Some of the .Government’s critics had evinced absurdly erroneous ideas as to the constitutional position of the IN e U l^P1 a " land Government in connection with the offer that had been made. Ihe Executive and Cabinet were the agents ot Parliament in the recess, and constitutionally what they did as agents of Parliament during the recess required to be ratified by Parliament when it assembled. If Parliament did not ratity the Government’s action, it was perfectly clear what the course oi the Goveminent would be. It wou.d eithei le-sio-n or take another course open to it, that of appealing to the people of the country to ascertain if they endorsed the action of the Government, If the verdict was unfavorable then it was clear the Government would go out of office, and every member of the Administration when dealing with tins important matter did so with his y open, recognising what his personal I,o “Without o moment’s hesitation,” declared the Prime Minister, “believing it was the right thing for the country to do and, as a matter or ract, l believe that when Parliament meets you will find a large majorty of the peoples representatives as loyal and as stion to help the Mother Land in what is recognised by everybody watching the course of events to have been an important crisis in its history ” (Loud olieers.) , .. ■ . The stion had been made, continned Sir Joseph Ward, that the Government should have done what was done during the South Afiican vai, hv consulting members of Parliament by telegram. The circumstances were endifferent. In the former case it 'involved the sending out to do battle another portion .of the Empire of a number or human lives, and no Government would . accept the responsibility of despatching large numbers of men to fmht upon a "British battlefield abroad without first obtaining the concurrence of members of Parliament, because the withholding of ratification after such an event could riot possibly stop loss oi life and therefore it was the clear dutj of the Administration to ascertain what was the opinion of members of Pal lament before committing . a number oi human lives to people outside the eounirv - The offer of a battleship was an liiiren Afferent mattg: .Parhamrat would be asked to ratify this. Hfi was m-oi 1 to sav that from one end of the country to the other .ft That the large majority of, if not a.i or, the people of New Zealand were in ■ayor oF maintaining the power and pr ytic'c. of the country to which we belo^, ( Vppfause.) The speech of Sir Edward Grey h 'the House of Colons a few dais a*o showed that tire Germans would have thirty-four Dreadnoughts and possess the most powerful navy m Urn world; and to meet the national peril England must rebuild her navy. T" these distant parts of the Empire were we going to say that because of the opposition of a section of. the community, however well mentioned, we did not have the courage, to follow what was qu : te a consttntional course . They woufi find in the history ot England instances where the Government, undei similar circumstances, without shoulder- ™ their responsibility upon members if "Parliament by sending telegrams .did what was required and let the Parliament ratify it later. BRITISH PARLIAMENT’S THANKS TO NEW ZEALAND. SIGNED BY 3-50 IvIEMBERS. TTvtted Press Association— -Copyright. ™«,Ld April 2, 10.20 p.m.) LONDON, April.2. Three hundred and fifty members of the House of Commons have signed the ■memorial of thanks to New. Zealan- for her .gift of a Dreadnought. .

ANOTHER DREADNOUGHT OFFERED. BY NEW SOUTH WALES AND VICTORIA. ; SYDNEY, April 2. The New South Wales and Victorian Cabinets have agreed, failing the Commonwealth offering a Dreadnought, that New South Wales and Victoria shall combine to present one.