NEWS OF THE WEEK.
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THE debate on the second reading of the German Naval Esti- mates began in the -Reichstag on Monday, when Admiral von Tirpitz praised the Navy Law, saying that without it the naval programme would have been exposed every year to the fluctuations of public opinion, and such a navy as Germany now had would never have been created. " From the beginning [we quote from the Times] the navy had never been intended for aggressive purposes." The aim was that German sea power, as had been said previously, should be such that any Great Power would be running a risk in attacking Germany. Herr Ledebour, speaking for the Socialists, said that Herr von Tirpitz's well-meant words had no value; all Govern- ments uttered such sentiments ; the fact remained that all the talk of war between Germany and Great Britain was the creation of the Tirpitz era. Herr Erzberger said that all nations envied the German Navy Law, under which ships had been constructed so cheaply that in the last twelve years Germany had spent £100,000,000 less than America, and had produced only 66,000 less tonnage. The 'debate was continued on Tuesday, when Admiral von Tirpitz said that it was an astonishing mistake in England to suppose that German con- struction had been accelerated outside the Navy Law. This denial, of course, does not meet the objection that. the Navy Law is a very elastic instrument, and that it is so variously interpreted in Germany that even now it is not certain how many ships are required under it.
