New-York tribune., 1909-03-21
BR[TAIN'S NAVAL PANIC
KAISER WINS PRESTIGE.
Liberals Not Eager TO Publish he
salts of Conference.
fs,.c..i Nv French Cab. to Ths Tr4Oun.

Fs,.cssi bv French Cable 20 The rronn%I
Tendon. March 2O-This is the date arranged
for The publication OF the Declaration OF Lon
-, g, ,-bicb the representatives Of ten naval
MOVERS united. The text Is not availao.e mere III
this morning S press. the officials not oeiiis IA
haste 10 disclose i, when the air is electric Win
suspicion and the country has Temporarily iO''
control Of its nerves The government Which %
responsible for the international naval NOi
ference is the same government which dio mo-
knox until October that the German Aonora'S
had beer accelerating since April me c'iiSti w
ficn Of Dreadnoughts and gaining gronhu III
con,es+ing Frgland's supremacy of sea power
The new code is likely be sharply cr1tlelsed
hv the naval 1nartinets and experts. who con
slider that the country having the strongest
,7z,-, should be 2 law unto itself and not be as
socisted with nine other powers In framing
code for regulating the practice OF belhseIeH'
and neutrals. The nation is too greauy eNci'eu
over the evidence that Germany is bent upon
rivallins England in her first line OF oaI'ie7iiiP
TO do Justice to the work Of the conference @4iu
N Nna out whistler her beIligerent rights have
been materially impaired or "hethef the III
+e-ests Of neutral commerce have not been aoe-
qustely protected. II is preoccupieo win tne
vote Of lack OF confidence proposed by Mr- BAL
four respecting Dreadnoughts. and counter
charges from the Radicals that the Tories are
working up an anti-German panic for poiltcal
effect
The Prime Minister has succeeded in disarm-
ing his Radical opponents OF naval aTlnaineh's
but has done SO at high cost, since noth the
Admiralty and the government have lost pres
.ire ard have been exposed TO destructive criti-
eisn by their own confession They have been
eaught mapping by Germany, and have been
srno-snt Of the phenomenal progress Of their
energetic rival in her resources for the produc-
tton Of Dreadnousflts John Bull is angry and
reseuffuL His voice may be heard at indigna-
ton meetings started IN the City and continued
.n the provinces
The Opposition psrtisans meanwhile are taxing
advantage Of the opportunity and are denounc-
fnE the government for not meeting Germany s
challenge by laying down eight Dreadnoughts
this wear, or floating naval construction loan,
or purchasing the battleships now building for
Brazil or doing something equally extTaordi-
rs-r If Tnionist zealots be believed, the
country is ready 20 sweep the government out Of
of5ce lay down dozen Dreadnoughts annually
snd submit to conscription-
When allowance is made for the vsgaries Of
partisanship. the truth remains that the nation
IS profoundly stirred by the evidence that Ger
many means business in enlarging her facil-
! tties for the rapid construction Of Dreadnoughts
they take Dreadnoughts the sole basis OF
comparison, and overlook the vast superiority
of the British navy in vessels OF ell classes,
the aggregate cost Of construction and malDte-
nance and the number Of guns and men. They
are oiscrediting the British navy in fierce at
ssTnpt to drive their political opponents out Of
Office. They are also restoring the prestige Of
the German Emperor, who not long ago retired
under cloud from the glare OF publicity in
consequence of various indi1cretions. His sub
seots can hardly fail TO form higher estimate
Of his abilities when they witness the intense ex
citement and jealousy created in England by his
policy of accelerating the construction OF Ger
man hattleships
There is no evidence that the government IN
tends to make a scat tegost Of Sir John Fisher.
under whose advice It has acted in all matters
Of naval policy The Admiralty. apparently.
ought 70 have known what was going on in Ger
many fully a year ago, when the policy Of ex-
peoting the preparations for battIeships was
adopted. This was about the time when the
German Emperor was writing his letters TO
lord Tweedmouth. Sir John Fishers authority
cannot safely be dispensed with by the present
government, when he is entirely responsible for
the distribution and reorganization Of the feet
and every important detail Of naval policy His
rival. Lord Charles Beresford, is expected at
Portland Hsrbor to-day with the Channel feet
end VIII retire from his command next v-ael
hut may succeed Sir John under e Unionist gov
eminent. The Prime Minister'S influence iS
shaken by the naval disclosures and the budset
may produce an even more critical situation. VET
the government is likely TO hold on to Office as
*ohs as possible INF
SCARED nv psTrTu nv nr,r ~