The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-07
CHURCHILL PLAN
 P[EASES J|NGOES Where Will Dreadnaught
 Building End? WANT HYDROPLANES .Dr. Wallace Is One Eminent Scientist Who Is Pleased to See the Revolt | Among the English ' Workingmen f
By PHILLIP EVERETT

LOHuOH, ApTll b.-iGpeCldl. )-W nile the announcement recently made Tn parliament by Winston Churchill in re- gard to the naval policy of the present government has been hailed with cheers by all the jingoes of the country and while many liberal statesmen realize that the policy of MT. Churchill may be the only one possible under present cir cumstances, 1t is no source of joy to the real friends of peace and progress,
 The British shipbullding programme is arranged with regard to the complet- ed action of the German fleet law, rath- CT than to the precise number of ships turned out from year to year. Hither- to the general rule has been to con- struct dreadnaughts on the basis of about three British ships to two Ger man ships, having regard to the final
 balance of power in this now dominat- ing category of war vessels. This has, of course. meant a total advantage of more than two to one, considering Eng lands vast superiority in the pre- Dreadnaugh battleships
 The question Is now. Has this stand ard been raised by MT. Churchill? hp PioB intdhS III US normal working, if four Dreadnaughts are con structed this year. three will be begun next year, and four in 1914. But what will happen If the proposed German ad- ditions to the navy law come into eff feet? Apparently England starts from that moment on a basis of two keeIs to one for each German addition to the
 present basis of her fleet law. In oth- CT words. instead of building three Dreadnaughts next year, England will build five. The reason is that the ad- mlrallty is making an increasing a, loWance for the decreasing number ana value of pre- e-Dreadnaught types Rut the fact remains that if the revised Ger man plans go through England will this year be building four Dread naughts to the German two, and in 1g13 five to the German three, with the usual vast and costly complements in the shape of fleets of cruisers of different types and shoal of destroyers and suh marines.
 what does Germany propose to do? It IS very difficult to tell. for no one knows yet how great will be the in nuence the war hating socialists will exert or how much the improved diplo- matlc position in Loncon will modifv the rather threatening plans of the government.
 The whole liberal party in England ana probably no man more than MT. Churchill himself-hopes that modera tion will prevail in Germany and that )ingoes will be silenced, for every addi ton 10 the German Meet weakens the protest of British liberalism, and adds weight to the automatic force in this country which makes for greater meets. The process Is endless. unless n war Under it each country senseless- " taxes the other. If Germany can even
 today force England to build four Dreadnaughts to her two tomorrow she
 may compel Great Britain to contruct eisht 10 her four; while England on her side lays corresponding burdens on
 her people. The proposition Germany has now set Is hardly an excessive one; but no one Will pretend that it assists the cause of peace.