The San Francisco call., 1909-07-27
CANADA HOPES TO
BUILD BATTLESHIPS
England Adds Four Super
Dreadnoughts to Current
Years Program
Canadians Want to Cooperate
With British Navy and
Erect DrydOcks

VICTORIA, B. c.. July 26.-That Can
ada viii build navy TO cooperate
with the British navy in the defense Of
the empire was stated by Hon. William
Pugsley. dominion minister of public
works. before the board of trade here
today. He said:
Il look forward to seeing number
of first class vessels of war of purely
Canadian origin and manned by Cana
dians stationed on both the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans.
THE question Of Canadian navy and
drydocks on both the Pacific and Allan
tic sides will be discussed as soon Is
the delegates to the imperial defense
conference return from England. The
outcome of the conference undoubtedly
will be a decision to construct drydocks
on both Canadian seaboards capable of
accommodating the largest battleships."
Four Extra DreadnoughtS
LONDON. July 26.-The big navy cam
paign has won the day and four super
Dreadnoughts are to be added to the
current years shipbuilding program
Reginald McKenna, first lord of the
admiralty, officially confirmed this In
the house of commons this afternoon,
saying that after very anxious and
careful examination into the shipbuild
ing conditions of foreign countries the
government had come to the conclusion
that it was desirable to take ell neces-
sary steps TO insure the laying down of
four additional DreadnoughtS in April,
to be completed in March. 1912.
Lord McKenna said that foreign ship
building had developed apace, Italy and
Austria Hungary, according to the evil
dence collected by the government. each
having definitely committed itself to the
construction of four battleships of the
largest size and the latest type. Nc
kenna mentioned that two of the bat
tleships on this years program would
be Launched during the present year.
and that of the two big ships TO be laid
down in November the government had
decided that one should be an improved
cruiser, as the admiralty had plans of
cruisers more powerful and faster than
the Invincible and Indomitable types.
He pointed out tnat, much as he per-
scnally regretted the necessity, it was
incumbent on Great Britain to build
still faster cruisers with which to be
better able TO capture any hostile ves-
sells threatening English commerce.
Asked if Germany had anticipated the
derstsnding as given out by the British
foreign Office, McKenna deprecated the
comparison, but said that during the
three years the British government ha
been doing its best to restrict the
growth of ornaments Germany had laid
down II large armored ships to Great
Britain's eight. After these three years
Of experience he considered it would not
be safe TO continue on these lines and
the time had arrived to take. steps to
secure British pr2dominance on the
seas, not only now, but in the future.
Ra dical and labor members protested
against the increased expenditure and
Premier Asquith begged them to be-
lieve that the program was not intro
duced in the spirit Of aggression orwith
a desire to be provocative toward for
eign nations. but because a months
anxious deliberation had forced the cab
met to the reluctant conclusion that
this enlarged program was the only one
which. with proper regard for the safety
Of the empire, they could honestly ask
parliament to accept. The premier add
ed that the door was still open for an
agreement between this country and the
other powers regarding naval expendi-