The discussion, which was renewed on Tuesday, was marked by
a most important and explicit declaration by Mr. Asquith in reply to the question which Mr. Balfour had put on Monday. He wished to know whether, on certain assumptions, Germany would live in the late months of 1911 thirteen ships of the Dreadnought ' and `Invincible' types while we should have only twelve. Mr. Asquith prefaced his remarks by declaring that we must maintain our unassailable superiority at sea, and that the only way to achieve this end was to maintain the two- Power standard, about which there was no difference of opinion. As to the German programme, " if we find that there is a reason- able probability of the German programme being carried out in the way that the paper figures suggest, we should deem it our duty to provide, and we should provide, not only for a sufficient number of ships, but for such a date of laying down such ships that at the end of 1911 the superiority of Germany would not be an actual fact That is the policy of his Majesty's Government ; it remains on record ; and I think it ought to reassure the House that we do not intend in this matter to be left behind." Mr. Asquith's state- ment was received with general cheers, and may be taken as a decisive answer to the advocates of reduction.
Previous page
