This incident has given rise to rumours of an under-
standing, either approaching or completed, between Germany and Great Britain as to their relative strength in naval armaments. Such rumours should be dismissed. Germany will certainly not commit herself to any position of stereo- typed inferiority, and we have the greatest sympathy with her in her refusal to do so. The facts remain as they were. In March last year Mr. Churchill said that it was the policy of the Admiralty to maintain for the present a sixty per cent. superiority in Dreadnoughts over Germany, and that as ships of the pre-Dreadnought epoch deteriorated in fightinl, value the ratio of superiority in Dreadnoughts would rise above sixty per cent. After that statement Germany passed her new Navy Law. All that Admiral von.Tirpitz appears to mean now, as the Berlin correspondent of the Times says, is that Germany has no intention of making a fresh spurt. The tone of the words in which he accepts the facts as they stand is, however, extremely welcome. No one rejoices in a relaxation of political tension between the two countries more than we do. Let us follow this excellent example and build on facts, not on promises. We cannot throw down our band; and we shall do much more harm than good by asking Germany to promise to do so. Freedom with watchfulness has produced the present fortunate situation of mutual self- respect.
