builds and commissions its navy according to its needs and not only
with regard to the programme of other countries. Therefore, it
would be the simplest thing for England to say: "I have a
world-wide empire and the greatest trade of the world, and to
protect them I must have so and so many battleships, cruisers, &c.,
as are necessary to guarantee the supremacy of the sea to me, and
they shall, accordingly, be built and manned."

That is the absolute right of your country, and nobody anywhere
would lose a word about it, and whether it be 60 or 90 or 100
battleships, that would make no difference and certainly no change
in the German naval bill. May the numbers be as you think fit,
everybody here would understand it, but the people would be very
thankful over here if at last Germany was left out of the
discussion, for it is very galling to the Germans to see their
country continually held up as the sole danger and menace to Great
Britain by the whole press of the different contending parties,
considering that other countries are building, too, and there are
even larger fleets than the German.

Fears German Retaliation.

Doubtless, when party faction runs high there is often a lamentable
lack of discrimination in the choice of weapons, but I really must
protest that the German naval programme should be only one for her
exclusive use, or that such a poisoned view should be forged as a
German challenge to British supremacy of the sea. If permanently
used mischief may be created at home, and the injured feeling
engendering the wish for retaliation in the circle of the German
Naval League as a representative of the nation which would