The daily sentinel., 1914-01-26
NAVAL POLICY OF
GREAT BRITAIN IS
CALLED SUICIDAL
Lloyd George Favors a Decrease
in the Expenditures for the
Army and Navy DeptS.
Associated Press.


section of the liberal party which is
making stand against the increas-
ing cost of the navy, and which is
called the suicide party by the
unionists press, is a paramount ques-
tion in political circles Should he
do so he must set himself up against
Winston, Churchill, first lord OF the
admiralty who has declared that the
increase in the naval estimates which
he would submit during the coming
session of parliament is the actual
minimum for the safety of British
supremacy at sea, and also against
Mr.. Asquith. the prime minister. who
has agreed that the increase is ab-
solutely necessary in view of the
steps being taken by the continental
powers.
There is no doubt that there is n
struggle on not only within the lib
eral party, but also in the cabinet it,
self, over this question of armaments
Heretofore. the big and the little
navy men in the cabinet have been
able to smooth out their differences
but in face of still bigger bill for
the navy, and the pressure from the
liberal party for reduction. those
who believe that England is safe
with her present navy and can af-
inclined to oppose the demands of
the admiralty. Ii Lloyd George
should press his demand for a halt
before the cabinet there is the pos
sibility of disruption of the govern
ment. Mr.. Churchill, who mas been
completely converted to the bigger
program for the navy and big vote
for aerial development, will certainly /
stand out for what he will term the |
minimum for safety. 1t will then
be tussle between him and Mr.. |
George. Both are extremists when |
II comes to a fight, and it will take !
all the eloquence of the moderate !
men of the cabinet to prevent seri- |
Gus discord.
Lloyd George has given a few rea-
sons for his belief that England can
now call a halt in her naval expen-
ditures. His first is that relations
between Germany and England are
infinitely better than for years and /
both have learned that they have |
nothing to gain by quarrelling. An
other reason is that the continental
powers are now concentrating on
their armies and that Germany can
rot stand the strain of both a su-
preme navy and supreme army and
therefore she is no longer a competi- |
tor against England for command of |
the sea. His third reason is the
spread of the revolt against mill
.tary oppression throughout the
whole of Christendom.'
According to the Daily Chronicle,
the paper which might almost be
considered Mr.. Georges organ, Mr.. |
George says the common sense of
the industrial classes, be they capi-
talist or labor, has risen against this
organized insanity (of naval expen-
diture) and this is propitious mo-
lnent for reconsidering the question
of armaments. Unless liberalism
seizes the opportunity it will be false
to its noblest traditions, and those
who have the conscience of liberalism
in their charge will be written down
for all time as having grossly be-
trayed their trust"
These words coming after the
prime minister and the first lord of
the admiralty had practically declar-
ed that an increased vote for the navy
is necessary bodies i'll for continued
cohesion of. the liberal party On
the same day that this Lloyd George
interview was published, Sir John
Brunner, president of the national
liberal federation, issued a letter on
ly an attack on the prime minister,
who had declared to a deputation of
the federation that it was necessary
to keep up the expenditure on arma-
ments. Sir John used much the same
arguments as Lloyd George and urg-
ed every liberal association to
strengthen the hands of those who
would like to see an arrest in the
expenditure for the navy. 1t is clear
therefore that the. radical econo-l
mists," as they have been dubbed,
are to fight hard against increased
estimates next session.
Colonel j. E. B. Seely, secretary of
state for war has, like Winston Chur-
chill, first lord of the admiralty, es-
tablished the reputation of being
very versatile minister. The colonel,
also like Mr.. Churchill, was formerly
a conservative. going over to the lib
eral party, when the conservatives
adopted tariff reform as against free
trade. He also fought through the
South African war and won the dis
tinguished service order.
His versatility, however, has been
more pronounced since he succeeded
Lord Haldane as civil head of the
army. A series of pictures just pub
lished show the colonel as member
of the crew of the lifeboat of the
Isle of Wight in which he frequently
goes out in all sorts of weather; as
an airman, a rider. yaulter and a
climber.
He might almost compete with
Colonel Roosevelt as an '.all-round
man, for he goes in for every KIND
of sport. He took to flying before
Mr.. Churchill and has been up IN
every kind of machine. favor
lite snap shot of Colonel Seely shows
him vaulting railings in Hyde Park:
IL was on occasion of review OF
troops and the war minister, SILK
hated and frock-coated, being late
took each set of rails with easy
bounds. Still another shows him
atop of a monument many feet above
the ground. He had been invited TO