New-York tribune., 1909-03-17
ALL ENGLAND ALARMED
By REVELATIONS.
More Dreadnoughts Needed to
Maintain Great Br1tains NaUaL
Supremacy.
Supremacy.

CrlSlS IN Great BRITAIN naval history II SetiilS
certain that it will thoroughly arouse and alarm
the country as to the possibility of England
maintaining her naval supremacy. It's effect
was electrical
AS soon as the debate on the navy estimates
was concluded. a hurried meeting called Of
the members Of the House representing the
small navy party, at which the situation thus
Unexpectedly revealed anxiOusly debated
No decision was reached, but the speeches
showed that little will be heard of cheese
pairing as far as the navy is concerned. On the
contrary, it seems that the government Will be
strongly urged by the majority of the members
OF its own party 60 make the "conditonaT' pro
gramme for additional Dreadnoughts abso-
lutte building programme.
1t becomes, MI Bafour pointedly put it in
to-days speech. which greatly impressed the
House question not of maintaining a two
power standard but of maintaining a one-power
standard in first class ships.
4 am forced" said Mr. Balfour, ito the con-
clusion that now. for the very first time in mod
ern history, face to face with a naval
situation and so dangerous that it IS
difficult for us to realize all its imports"
Mr. Balfour added that, according his in
formation, which he challenged Mr. McKenna to
tefute. Germany had laid down last year eight
Dreadnoughts, and that she several months
in advance of her programme. If Germany con-
tinued at the same rate, he said. the relative
position of the two nations in 1912 would be
Great Britain twenty Dreadnoughts and Ger
many twenty-one. or if the Germans initiated
Great Britains policy of collecting mate
rials and armaments beforehand, Germany
would nave twenty-five Dreadnoughts.
Mr.. Mckenna questioned these figures be-
ing beyond Germany's constructive power. but
Mr. Balfour retorted that 1t was difficult to dis
cover what the Germans were doing
The sensation caused by the debate VIII be re
hected in all the editorials tomorrow morning,
Irrespective OF party. The Liberal organs make
a feeble attempt to justify the governments pro-
gramme adequate. but apparently with con-
siderable misgivinE The matter was warmly
discussed In the Hobbies OF the House. and the
very general opinion was held that the govern
rnent would be obliged in the autumn 70 intro
duce fresh estimates FOR two "condi-
tional' Dreadnoughts
NOT \ TINE FOR ECONOMY.
The safety Of the country stands above all
other sacrifices. and matter what the cost.
the safety OF the country must be assured" said
Mr McKenna. in justifying the increase OF
/ nearly SI5.O0O.00 IN the navy estimates when
/ they were introduced by him In the House OF
. Commons this afternoon. No one could sup
pose Mr McKenna added. that sthe present
! government assumed the responsibility Of these
. estimates WIN Il llBIt il'dtl but biifi' NFif
times when even the most determined economist
would have to make sacrifices.
/ Mr Mckenna explained that he selected Ger
many as a standard only to measure British
requirements for arithmetcal purposes and he
did not presume 10 express any feeling opin-
ion except one Of respectful admiration for Ger
many's administrative and professional eff
. cheney
The present difficulty of the government lay
. in the fact that it did not know the rate az
which German construction was going on.
Mr. McKenna said he considered that the
maintenance OF superiority depended on superb
/ ority In Dreadnoughts alone.
Mt MCkcnna paid tribute TO the ''extraor-
binary growth in the construction of ships OF
the largest size in Germany" Two years ago
there were no ships capable Of competing with
I the British Dreadnoughts. while Germany had
to-day several such vessels. besides three in
, course of construction. The same was true of
guns armor and mountings- in view OF thes.
facts II the House OF Commons approved the
estimates, orders would be given out mmedi-
ately for guns gun mountings, armor and other
material. so that four additional Dreadnoughts
could, If necessary. be completed by March
1912.
GOOD DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS.
Premier Asquith admitted the grave inn or
that the government might sacrifice the national
! safety a question Of eXpediency. 1t must not
he supposed he continued that the calculation
between Germany and Great Britain implied un-
/ satisfactory diplomatic relations. on the con
/ trary the recent course of international affairs
had tended to remove all barriers. The govern
ment had more than once suggested mutual
reduction in naval expenditures. but it always
had received most formal assurances that the
German naval expenditures were governed sole
w with reference to Germany's needs, and dlo
not depend on Great Britains programme, The
I government had received the distinct declara
ton. the Premier added, that it was Germany's
intention further to accelerate shipbuildinG, and
the government could not present to the House
of Commons a programme based on the as
sumption that this declaration was incorre ct
# must however, be admitted that Great Brit
ain no longer enjoyed the superiority in shif
construction she thought she held. and this vast
horrible devastating and sterilizng expendi-
ture WAS a supreme nee cessty Of national secur-
itv. which the Premier said he hoped Parliament
would accept.
1 London March 17.-"The Times" this morn
ing asserts that Germany has been working al
the highest pressure In certain dockyards, botl
night and day. to push her battleships This is
rendered possible, it is said, by the German gov
ernment's paying subsidies amounting in some
cases TO - per cent more than the original IS
innate for work thus FASTENED
LABOR ORGANIZERS MAY ENTER CANADA
Ottaws March IA bill designed to prevent
,niop ,abor organizers from the United Statr:
entering Canada killed in the Senate this af