The campaign in favour of Dreadnoughts ' is being con-
ducted with great energy in Austria. In view of its sources of inspiration, special significance attaches to a recent utter- ance of the Vaterland, the Conservative Roman Catholic paper, condemning the advocates of economy, and pointing to the patriotism and enterprise of those firma who are ready to build 'Dreadnoughts ' on credit and lay down keels at their own risk. The article lays great stress on the need for battleships to "rule the Northern Adriatic basin, support the operations of our land army, protect our chief com- mercial ports against hostile maritime undertakings, and prevent us from being throttled in the Straits of Otranto. If we now lag behind in developing our naval pro- gramme, Italy will so outrun us that we can never overtake her. Here more than elsewhere to stand still is to recede. But to recede would be to renounce the historical mission of Austria! Who will bear this responsibility ? " The Times correspondent at Vienna, while regarding the article as obviously foreshadowing the official naval policy, scouts the notion that shipyards are likely to ran any risk. "The only risk is run by the taxpayers, who will presently be obliged to provide the extra money which will be paid to the banks that finance the building of the Dreadnoughts' before Parlia- mentary consent has been obtained." The most searching comment on the situation, however, is that of the Arbeiter Zeitung, which notes the extraordinary fact that a people should first hear of a whole squadron which is in reality being built for its Fleet through a reply to a question in a foreign Parliament.
