The Detroit times., 1909-03-17
BRITISH RULE OF
SEA THREATENED
BY GERMANY
kAIsER's COUNTRY Is RAPIDLY
EXPANDING CONSTRUCTION Or
WARsHiPs - BALFouR SOUNDS
WARNING IN SPEECH IN Pan.
LAMENT.

LONDON, March 1.-THE announces
ment OF Reginald McKenna, first lord
or the admiralty. In parliament yes.
lsrdaN or Getmanys rapid develops
ment In battleship construction, is be-
ing discussed here today By statesmen.
IL Is conceded that the English gov
eminent Will be moved TO an expan.
sion o! her naval equipment In an eff.
foft 10 maintain supremacy OF the sea.
The government, IL is believed, will
DE strongly urged by. the majority
members OF their own party TO pro.
vide for the construction or additional
Dreadnoughts
Ii becomes, as Bafour pointedly put
i in yesterdays speech, which greatly
impressed the house, question not
OF maintaining a two-power standard.
but OF maintaining one-power stand.
ard in first-class ships.
Il am forced" said Balfour TO the
conclusion that now, for the very first
time in MODERN history, we are face
TO face with naval situation SO new
and SO dangerous that IL is difiicult
for us to realize all its imports
Balfour declared that according "a
his information. Germany had laid
down last year eight Dreadnaughts
and that she was several months in
advance or her program. IL Germany
continued at the same rate. he, said
the relative position of the two ma
tons In 1912 would be, Great Britain,
20 DreadnaUghts: Germany. 81; or, II
the Germans initiated Great Britain'a
new policy Of collecting materials and
ornaments beforehand, Germany
would have 25 Dreadnaughts.
McKenna questioned these figures
as being beyond Germany's construc-
tive powers. but Balfour retorted that
IL was difficult to discover what the
Germans were doing.
The sensation caused by the debate
is reflected III all the editorials this
morning March 10, irrespective OF
party. The liberal organs make a
feeble attempt to justify the govern
ment's program as adequate, but APP
parently with considerable misgiving.
The matter was warmly discussed IN
the Hobbies OF the house and the very
general opinion was held that the gov
eminent would be obliged In the au-
tumn to introduce fresh estimates for
one or two conditional Dread
naughts.
McKenna in his speech TO the
house OF commons yesterday aIeer-
noon. said: The safety OF the coun-
try stands above all other sacrifices.
and no matter what the cost, the safe
~ OF the country must be assured.
mo one could suppose went on
McKenna, that the present govern
ment assumed the responsibility OF
the estimates with a light heart, but
there were cases when even the most
determined economist would have 10
make sacrifices
II was automatic. the speaker con-
tinued that Great Britain should have
to maintain a navy sufficiently strong
to ensure Britains shores from IN
vasion. the empire from hostile az
tempts and trade from destruction In
time of war. The limits of the navy
must be fixed by the progress OF for
eign powers Several powers were
rapidly developing their naval strength
at the present moment, but not one
az "A pace to be compared TO Germany.
Premier Asquith admitted the gave
importance OF this debate and he dep
recated the idea that the government
might sacrifice the national safety %
question of expediency. 1t must NOT
be supposed. he continued, that the
calculation as between Germany ami
Great Britain implied unsatisfactory
Diplomatic relations.