The Washington herald., 1909-03-30

London. March 2a-The debate on the
vote or censure against tie government :
naval programme gave rise 10 one Of the
greatest scenes in the British Parliament
in this generation
/ There was a full house. and the diplo-
matte and peers galleries were crowded.
The public gallery was empty. the prohi-
bition Of it's occupancy following the suf-
/ fragette demonstration being still In force.
Mr.. Arthur Hamilton Lee. Conservative
member for Hampshire. who officially
! presented the case for the opposition,
made q plea in the nature Of an appeal TO
the government instead Of partisan con-
demnetion. and Sir Edward Grey, the
/ foreign secretary. who made a great
speech in reply. also adopted a nonpartl-
san tone His admission Of the serious
ness OF the situation was even more
startling than the recent revelations.
The Laborites supported the govern
ment. The Nauonalists did not vote.
Two Liberals voted against the govern
ment
/ Germany's programme. he said. amount
ed 20 thirty-three Dreadnoughts. besides
many supplementary ships. This meant
that Great Britain must build an entire
new fleet. the greatest and most costly
the world has ever seen. The only ques-
ton. he said. was one OF time. for It was
complicated by the fact that the type Of
battle ships was constantly changing. and
the prscent Dreadnoughts might almost
be obsolete within "A few years
DeEenerateS Into Partisanship.
The subsequent speakers. until Messrs.
Asquith and Balfour. the premier and
leader Of the opposition. respectively.
! closed the debate. degenerated into bitter
| partisanship. Their denunciations were
interrupted by the news Of the result OF
the Croydon bye-election which caused
great excitement. The figures showed
that the government had suffered the
most crushing defeat in all the long
series of bye-electiOn reverses.
The Unionist candidate was elected by
1883 votes. against SOL cast Tor the LIB
eral representative. and SIS for the La
| borite. The Enionist majority was nearly
double the highest ever known in the
district The Unionist members cheered
the result madly.
When a division was finally reached
after several hours debate. the vote was.
as expected. on strict party lines. IS5 70
353. a government majority Of 2lS.
/ Sir Edward Grey, foreign secretary
| said ne was not going 70 minimize the
| seriousness OF the situation. He acknOwl-
! edged that new situation has been ere
ated for Great Britain by the German pro
| gramme. for when It was completed
| Germany would have thirty-three Dread
| nOuEhts and her fleet would be the mosr
/ powerful the world had ever seen and
that imposed the necessity OF rebuilding
the entire fleet
Must Rush ships.
That was the situation but what wa:
not known was the time within which
that would have 10 he done That wa.
the element OF uncertainty. There was
no dispute as 10 the issue. In order L
would have 10 he rebulta more powerful
than anything the country had had yet
The difference Of opinion was as 70 tn,
time in which this ought 10 De done. i
was known what the country would have
to do sooner or later, but 1t was no
known exactly when.
Stock must be taken Of the plant a1C
powers in the country forsthe eonstruc
ton of Dreadnoughts i'm order that they
might be completed in the shortest posi-
ble time The British capacity for build
ing hulls and manufacturing guns Of III,
largest size was In excess Of Germany s
The weak and doubtful point was Brit
aims capacity for the construction o
gun mountings. The admiralty had giveI
instructions for an increase Of the Plan
so as TO give Britain the advantage il
this branch Of construction also.
Discusses Nations Relations.
| Proceeding. Sir Edward Grey said:
There had been in the diplomatic re
lations between US and Germany peace
fUl progression and progress up to tn,
tine of the Kings visit to Berlin. Their,
were two extreme things which would
| PouuEe d CviiiiCt- OhS was an dtleInp
on our part to isolate Germany. Tht
other was an attempt by any great con
tinental power to dominate the policy o
the continent.
Between these two extremes Of isola
tion and domination there was a Wild
space. In which the two nations coul,
walk in a perfectly friendly way. Their,
- - rf.4fa ra,eor 20 sv--oba-,s a.
Germany would attempt to Isolate US a.
that we should attempt TO isolate Ger
many
THE naval matter has been under dis
cussiOn informally. and our view wa.
that our expenditures must be dspencea
on Germany's, though Germany's wa
not dependent on ours. It was essent "a
that We should not fall into position o
/ g,F