IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2566, 29 July 1909, Page 5

IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

THE NEW DREADNOUGHTS. A FAST FOREIGN CRUISER. JJniteh Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, July 27. Mr McKenna, replying to Mr Lee, said that the contracts for the first two 1909-1910 Dreadnoughts would be completed in July, 1911. The Government had information that a foreign Power was building a faster cruiser than the Invincible.

THE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMME

SEARCHING CRITICISM BY MR BALFOUR.

(Received July 28, 10.30 p.m.) , LONDON, July 28

Speaking at a large meeting in the city, the Right Hon. A. J. Balfour remarked that the present Government were afraid of their tail, and were alarmed about laying down the keels of the contingent Dreadnoughts before 1910, although doing everything except laying down the keels. It was difficult to discover whether, even now, the Government meant to deal with the situation in a bold, courageous spirit. “I do not believe/’ he said, “that the country realises the danger of the situation, how narrow is the margin of battle strength upon which we are relying; or, if you remember that our responsibilities in the Mediterranean and the North Sea need defending, besides our shores, all our colonies, and all the routes to our colonies and our foreign markets, how preposterously meagre has been the building programme of the past three years. It has imperilled the greatest and most vital interests of the Empire.” (Cheers.)

THE DEFENCE CONFERENCE

OPENED AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE.

(Received July 29, 12.10 a.m.)

Air. Asquith inaugurated the Defence Conference at the Foreign Office yesterday, and welcomed the overseas delegates. Lord Crewe thereafter will preside. The “Times’ ” Ottawa correspondent reports that the Canadian Dominion Minister of Works announced at Victoria that one outcome of the Defence Conference will doubtless be that Canada will undertake the construction of dry docks, on both seaboards, capable of accommodating Dreadnoughts.