On Wednesday the House of Commons discussed the Naval Estimates,
the principal item being a sum of £11,000,000 for the dockyards. The debate brought out in strong relief the absolute necessity for a complete, friendly, and permanent understanding between us and the United States. Every one, we are glad to say, was agreed on one thing. We are not going to build in rivalry to the United States. We are not going to base our policy on the supposition that we may some day be engaged in a naval war with America. We are not going to be so mad as to challenge America to a money duel in which we must lose. America•will soon have nearly double the white population of the British Empire, and has already got double our wealth. If we were to make our prime naval object the power to beat America at sea, she would have to make her prime naval policy the capacity to beat us.
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