The sun., 1912-07-07
BRITISH APATHY
ENDANCERS NAVY
Withdrawal of Fleet From
Malta Fails to Arouse
People.
LACK OF TRAINED MEN
England in Danger of Losing
Command of Sea-kitch-
ener's Advice Sought.
NOVEL STAGE VENTURE
Barrie. PinerO and Shaw to
Write Three Plays for
One Production.
NOVEL STAGE VENTURE
speesni Cable DespnfcA 10 TuE srS.

LONDON. July 6.-t is extremely am
cult to estimate the present attitude of
tho British public regard ing politics.
The professional politicians keep shouting
end the newspapers beat the tomtom,
hit beneath 1t all 1t would seem that
there is little real interest taken by the
people. Only three men in tho country
oeem to be in earnest in n rhapsodical
degree. Admiral Beresford perennially
walls about the Great Betrayal" 10y which
he means what seems to him the abandon
ment Of British naval supremacy. Lord
Robert Cecil raves oveP the onslaughts
On privilege and Lloyd George. with a
oort Of impish alertne%s. skips headlong
70 new acts Of radicalism before the coun-
~ has time to adjust itself to those al
ready imposed on It or to realize any profit
from them.
For once Lord Beresford's complaint
seem not unjustifed. as the withdrawal of
all serious naval force from the Mediter-
ranean leaves the routes to the British
possessions in Egypt. India and the Far
East colonies totally unguarded. Britain
now has only four protected cruisers
and few smaller vessels actually in the
Mediterranean proper. the old Mediter-
ranean feet now being based at Gibraltar
instead OF Malta. and 40 is virtually a
nonentiity 90 far "A any defence Of Suez
trafic 10 concerned Not only outlying
territorial integrity but home food sup
plies are imperilled. az 90 per cent. Of the
food consumed in Great Britain comes
~is the Mediterranean. the total Of the
trade at stake being 81 1925 .oOo. 900 an
nually.
Tho Ministry half heartedly points out
that France. Britain's near ally, would
assume the duty Of guarding the Medi-
terrsnean trade routes. Neither France
nor Britain. however. is by any means
ready for a close alliance Of that sort.
and besides the experts reply. France
IL no match now for the fleets Of Austria
and Italy, which presumably would he
leaRued in a hostile combination with
Germany in case Of war. France will be
still less able in the near or even the
remote, future TO make a proper defence.
in view OF the huge Austrian and Italian
shipbiulding plans. Anyway it would
be hun,iliating to England TO III" Last
degree TO have 70 abandon the defence
AZ her empire and very national existercs
TO some other power. Surelv IL forced &c
this piteous surrender she may as wei
abandon her vaunt that she is mistress
OF the seaA.
LACK OF TRAINED MEN
The true inwardness of the situation
seems TO be a lack of trained men fol
the feet. All agreed on the desperate
necessity Of keeping fully manreo
DYeadnought armada in British water'
ready 10 meet Germany Mt any moment
but at present this is impossible il ar
adequate force Is 10 he kept up in thu
Mediterranean. The most reliable es
Inmates indicate that 10000 addtiona
sailoYs arc needed to enable a mobilza
zion Of the entire feet So as to ndequatel,
eiard the North Sea and the Mediterranean
At the same time. To get these mel
il not impossible. II Is proposed to traii
e.o0o each year until the required numbe
il in service. The difficulty Ii mainly
financial. Tho present so-called reform
projects OF the Ministry are so tremen
dousiy costly that there is little cash t
spare for national defence or any othe
purpose Tho Ministry Is clearly puzzlet
and makes q weak and halting explana
tion In the House Of Commons. now TAX
ing refuge In the old dilatory plan Of |
national defence commission.
Lord Kitchener. who has been in Egypt
II now journeying toward London. ant
IL u believed he has been called home L
give advice - to the present emergency
Il seeus certain that something is impera
lively needed In the way Of action. unles
England IL willing TO quietly accept tn
uosition OF q nation on the down grade
Hovevar this 3eospect might have aroused
the British public twenty-five years ago
no one seems to care much to-day
The labor element is concentrating il
whole soul on selfish interests in strugGl
for more pay and less work. not carini
for other elements OF the people, or evel
for the country a. q whole. The aris
tocracy and intellectual classes diml.
perceive that something ia wrong at home
but content themselves with academic
dilletante discussions on social unrest
such - H. q. Wells. the Duke Of Mari
borough, Lady Hamilton and others ar
now parsding in the daily newspapers
They are content. a. far az foreign polite
10 concerned, with launching bitter dia
tribes against the Government. withou
any constructive suggestion as to
remedy for the existing conditions,
GOVERNMENT PARAMOUNT PRoRLEM.
The Government is concentrating it
efforts on matching the German feet i
case OF an attempted invasion and is pun
ting aside all other aspects Of the Wa
problem. Even al respects domesti
diflcultiss. none of the daily disputant
tackles the sit uation in any positive Wa
except Lloyd George. and his remedi'
are % extreme that in the estimation {
all Conservatives and many Liberals the
~ worse than the disease. Meanwhl
the great middle classes remain in sta,
of torpor and alphabetically assume thu
the country ~ gong 10 the deinnitio
bovvows anyway under the lead OF Il
politieians. doctr,nsirs and thaorist