16 NOVEMBER 1912, Page 19

The responses for the Navy and Army came in order

before Mr. Asquith's speech, and were made by Mr. Churchill and Colonel Seely respectively. Mr. Churchill said that no harm, but rather good, had been done during the year by plain speaking on Naval questions. The Germans looked on affairs in a practical military spirit, and preferred simple statements of fact to a policy disguised in order to avoid shocking their feelings. The recruiting for the Navy had been better than ever. Before the end of the year proposals would be submitted for increasing the pay of officers and men. Colonel Seely said that the efficiency of the Army was probably higher than it had ever been. The Territorial Force was an improvement on the Volunteers, yet he must admit that much remained to be done.