The naval debate of Tuesday had a good deal of
the old clearness and interest which the debates of the House of Commons have lately lost. Lord George Hamilton's motion laid it down that it was necessary for the safety of the King. dom and the security of our commerce that a considerable addition should at once be made to our Navy, and called upon the Government to make a statement of their inten- tions in order that immediate action should be taken thereon. He stated that if he could have gained from the Government any clear admission that they saw the danger, and were taking immediate steps to guard against, it, his motion would never have been made. But he and his friends had exhausted every means at their disposal to elicit such a declaration from the Government, and in vain. The peril is not immediate, but it cannot be averted without taking immediate action. Battle- ships cannot be built in a day, or even in a year or two. What is happening is this, that France and Rassia, are adding to their naval strength at a much more rapid rate than England. If we are only just safe now, in two or three years' time, without prompt and strong measures, we shall not be safe at all. For example, in the next financial year, France will be adding to her Navy six battle-ships, and will commence in the course of the year three more, nine in all, with a tonnage of 106,000 tons ; Russia will be building six, and in that year will commence two more, in all eight, with a tonnage of 90,000 tons ; while England, unless new preparations are at once made, will have only three building, with a tonnage of 42,000 tons. In other words, in the course of the next financial year, France and Russia will be preparing to increase their Navy by seventeen battle-ships, with a tonnage of 196,000 tons ; while we shall be preparing to increase our Navy by only three battle-ships, with 42,000 tons. That is, the English Navy will be losing ground relatively to these two Navies by a difference against us of fourteen battle-ships and 154,000 tons. More- over, two of our three ships have only been commenced in the last fortnight.
