Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-03
'SCAREM0hC[RS' WIN
British Defense Plans Carry
in Parliament.
ECONOMISTS ARE ROUTED
Eight Monster Warships Not an
Improbability.
INTEREST IN WRIGHTS' VISIT
Presence in England This Summer a
National Observation-Disclosures
Reid's Address.

,ecisl Correspondence Of. The S:s-.


| It is no. exasgeration TO say that the
oldest member Of parliament can remem-
Der. no occasion when the lobby was so
profoundly stirred las it. has been this
week,
The statements Of Secretary for the Ad-
miEaIty McKenna and Premier Asquith
left SO much room. for alarming doubt as
to Germany's real capacity for outdis-
tancing British naval shipbuilding that
something like panic feeling was Gre
ated-a feeling shared by whole host of
important people. led by the PRINCE of
Wales, who sat through the debate in the
distinguished strangers gallery.
Probably Mr.. Asluith really aimed at
|! closing. the ranks of his OWN party. for
there was very aggressive and persist
emf band Of liberal economists ready to
pounce on the estimates and rend them as
merciless critics; and his public utterances
compelled him to endeavor to secure the
continuance of the "two-power naval
s -rength of Great Britain. He succeeded
| admirably. for the scared economists
bolted from their resolution. leaving the
advocates of the expenditure of f165.-
$4,000 naval construction and MAIN
tenance in possession Of the field.
In all probability the freedom they seek
the four definitely decided on already
will be utilized and England will lay down
eight of these monster vessels before the
end of the coming financial year.
Since then the official German state
ments minimizing the difference between
German and British preparedness-Ger-
| many admitting only thirteen Dread
thoughts to England twenty-has Gained
the POLITICIANS somewhat. but the scare
| still runs riot in the country. Lord
mayors of leading cities are calling pub
lie meetings.: public bodies are demand
! ing assurances of efficient defenses. and
the yellow press-England really has a
brand of this kind of journalisn-iS
screaming from florid headlines for more
preadnoughts." One eager journal even
fears there is immediate danger far in
land from airships and agitatedly ex-
Bank of England to guarantee security
from an attack by aeroplane. Never do
remember England SO hysterical except
during the dark days of the South Afri-
can war. There is no doubt about it,
the English are losing much of their old
phlegm in the throes of a crisis. The
national nerves are frequently on edge
nowadays.
The persons to oppose these naval mea-
sures are the labor men. They see ill.,
hntely less chance Of obtaining social
treforms sntailfng wide domestic e2pendi-
lures il all this money is to be taken
from the national treasury for engines
of war. Moreover, they contend that the
| no quarrel and no war can therefore
result except in the ina ginaticn of scare
mongers who have personal ends in view.
However that may be, the "scaremon-
gers have command i'll England at this
| time, and what with this naval spasm
and the boom for amateur soldering, I'M
der War Secretary Haldane's territorial
army scheme. there IS every prospect of
la long period ct militarism in its most
mesaphonic shape for the country.
| Apart from the British naval plans,
Judging from the stories which are in
tcirculation regarding foreign pro-
grams of new construction. British ma
| val shipbuffders are on the verge of
phenomenal activity. AS a matter of
I fact, however. the prospect is much
| less promising than it appears to lie.
Fat the Barrow wages conference. for
Einstance. the representatives Of the
| engineers were told that So per cent IF
Spain. AS for the Argentinian ships
and destroyers, they are not ordered
/ Vet, and they may not be ordered in
| the United Kingdom. although more
| than one of the British tenderers are
well in the running for the work.
When the Russians agree among
themselves as TO the. types of ships
they need for their new navy they
| Will build them in Russia.
well PC fac aas As sh,naullder as
the slightest chance Of any Russian
warshjp being built in the United
| Kingdom With regard to the orders
which the Barrow Els wick -Sheffeld
Japan. it would have been strange if
1.-THE vicksrs- Armstrong combine ton
had missed them. vickers. Sons &
Maxim and Armstrong, Whitworth & Co
reputation In japan, and SO long as
that is SO their guns and gun mount
ings will be preferred. Moreover. .th.
Enew steel works which are to be
Eerected at Muroran, obviously belong
to the vickers- Armstrong bargain eff
fected with the Japanese government
many months ago. British naval ship
builders are. in fact. not nearly SO busy
as they would like to be.
| The warning of Mr. AsoruitfI that
expenditures would have to be allowed
shortly for meeting the growing aerial
fleets Of France and Germany, coupled
with King Edwards condiments to
Wilbur Wright at Pau. will make the
Iarrival of the Wright brothers In Eng
land a national event In the summer.
They have, given orders for the con-
SuuctiQn OF SIX aeroplanes to. Messrs.
special attention; to the manufacture
OF flying machines. The firm has Il
large factory in COURSE of const r,,ction
/ on the grounds of the Aero Club in the
Isle of Sheppey. This building is nearly
finished. and when il Is completed it
will be possible to proceed with the
| construction of twelve Of these ma
| chimes at the same time. Messrs. Short
are also making flying machines tor
| other inventors. and their works are
so protected that no one can see from
| the outside what is going on inside. LII
I addition to the six aeroplahes, Messfs.
Wrci will bring with them to Eng
land four Of their machines. so that we
shall soon be able in this country to
Reds Fine Impression.
| / vas much struck with the impression
Ambassador Reid created at the Mansion
| House Monday when. at the call of the
lord mayor. there was a great gathering
Of all that is hest in British society
social. political. religious, scholastic and
\ fnancial-in support of movement to
extend the medical missions i'm China and
the diffusion Of western teaching and
literature among the Chinese. 1t is aimed
TO raise 100000 for this work, and the
money Is coming in freely. All Protestant
| denominations are concerned. and repre-
4 sentatives of all of them participated at
this meeting. There was Sir Robert Hart.
| the famous lrishman. who for forty years
has served China and the imperial mari
time customs. He is no. orator. but al
ways commands respect. and his views on
China have. OF course, the weight Of ex-
perience. Then iid-mannered represent
atiyes OF the Church of England were fol-
lowed by the aggressive chief of the wes-
| punched home his statements as though
driving nails into wooden heads He da-