Evening star., 1909-04-11
|NAVIES IN THE COMING CONFLICT


View of the circumstances relating to the
conclusion of the Austro-Servian conflict
decides that there is no use to convoke a
conference. The broken treaty of Berlin
may not be mentied by a conference. The
Austro- -servian crisis disappears hut
there rises in its place the violated treaty.
which hangs like a suspended sword over
the head of Europe.
The London Times, In an article en-
titled Germany and Europe" manifests
nluch feeling and says:
London Times The situation with
which Europe is con-
~'"" fronted involves much
more than the fate Of Servia. We trust u
may not 1nean the permanent oFertA1ow
OF the balance Of power in Europe, out u
certainly does mean that for the moment
Germany has placed it In Jeopardy oy
throwing the weight Of her sword into
the scales, to prove to the world In gen
eral and to Russia In particular that
without her consent and support treaties
can be broken with impunity. ana the
peaceful diplomacy of other powers 10
doomed to sterile effort.
Tho moral OF the situation, declares
the Times. us the immediate and persist
ent maintenance of the supremacy OF the
British navy The net result OF the two
days debate in the house on the increase
Of the navy Is -disquieting. On the con-
ference Of the prime minister and the first
lord OF the admiralty England is told that
unless she bestirs herself promptly,
steadily and continuously we are. or very
soon shall be. within measurable distance
Of g very grave situation indeed, The
worst of 1T Is that We do not know nor
can the government or admiralty tell us
that we are yet out of the wood. They
can only say that they hope and believe
We are
The Times prints in this connection a
9 Le5a tss nation II ~nsa nsasss
the threat to its predominance 1t will
vote all that is possible"
And this was made apparent in the
prompt withdrawal by Mr.. Harvey OF
HIS resolution tending to the. the reduction reduction
who declared that he took no exception
to the tone and substance of Mr.. Bal
tours speech. who. as We have reported
In 9 preceding article. charged the lib
era cabinet With incompetsaey and Of
tho security of the empire were insufh-
Client. Tits attitude on the part OF the
prtsne minister was proof that party
strife would not be permitted to make q
part OF the action OF the house. Naval
affairs were net in any sense a party
question any more than foreign affairs.
The admiralty had been caught mapping,
said the Times. and It should not be
caught again. "once bit, twice shy
The German program might not be un-
expectedly and clandestinsly accelerated,
but England had no
Germany'S pledge to that effect. In
u such circumstances Eng.
land should accelerate her
own program at once, am without re-
gard to Germany's declared intentions,
ana In doing 50 England would only be
yielding to that ''proyideut fear which Is
the mother OF safety
The figures given by Mr.. Leo In the
House as to Germanys naval and manu-
featuring resources were not only dis.
quieting but startling. England should
take heed and example from Germanys
prodigtous development. There was no OBJ
stacle to her doing this. The only way
to meet it was a prompt distribution OF
orders for materials and accessories Of
Warships which would enable English
manufacturers at least to keep pace with
tho great German Arm of Krupp, or, In
deed. keep well ahead Of it. On no other
terms could England enjoy any security
that the resources of Germany would not
be directed against England at the very
moment when the limits OF her resources
had been reached.
The double herreled leaders In the Lon
don Times Of the 18th entitled The Naval
manifest the Immense interest. to the ex-
cIusion Of all else. Of the question Of Eng
The Times reverts to Mr.. Frederic Har-
rison's letter, which 1t cites with en-
phasis. The Times has no doubt that the
navy is being added to the German army
it fanaies, conforming to those Prusso-
German ideals described by Mr.. Harrison.
1T would be q Eeace based upon a Ger
man hesemony Of Europe with the other
nattens grouped around hef as her SUBJ
ordin4te allies. Because we can never
submit to the realization Of that ideal.
and because Germany Is not likely to re-
n0unce 1t. the best means to avert it Is
to place sea supremacy beyond her power
It is that supremacy as a foundation
and not upon any assurances or declara-
tiens that reliance can be placed for the
safety of an island and empire whose
pos ton tmperiousiy demands it.
tHS 4IMeS uSIeteS tHdl germany mas
been accelersting her prosrsul while pro-
Tossing not to do so. The constant maxim
OF the real politik'' which Germany pro-
fesses to admire has been to close the
eyes OF her rivals. II England should be
foolish enough to allow Germany to apply
this policy to her she would exposa ner-
sslf to catastrophe and irremediahla ruin.
And the Times adds: Mr.. Harrison tells
Us we have no right to run that risk.
EnSland. we are confident. agrees with
him, and will see that the odds are
promptly and effectively altered, cost the
change what it will.
Tho cooperation Of the Dominion, New
Zealand and Australia Is assured. and
these will present to
Colonia1 England one OF more
each Of "preadnought'
Go'opesatao"' ships to help maintain
the threatened sea supremacy OF the
mother country
IT will be recalled that the liberal party
under It's former chief. Sir Henry Camp
bell. Bannerman. attempted to diminish
naval ornaments. NJ. Asquith. his suc-
cessor, has been obliged to abandon this
policy. The program distributed on the
18th ultimo contained notable aug
mentation of naval expenditures. The
new program proposed the immediate
construction Of four preadnoughts, and
this program has been raised to eight,
with six protected cruisers and twenty de-
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TARIFF QUlPS.