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Publlahed Every Tuesday and Friday. 36th Year. 8ix Pages Tueedaya. Eight Pages Fridays FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 1909. A Patriotic Inspiration That was a fine inspration ,on the part of the Age to propose that Australia should present to the Mo thor nation a Dreadnought. The in stkration arose from the cabled re ports of the sensational dissbision in the House of Commolls on the navy estimates, during wlhih the Prime Minister and the First Lord of the Admiralty. anounced that it had been discovered that .for many months past _ German naval yards and Krupp's great iron works had been working night and day, Sun days included, building and arming ox 1 tra Dreadnoughts, so that Germany's 3 naval equipment was already about equal to England's, and in a year I or , two would exceed it. The admis sions electrified the House of Com C mons and the nation, and a feeling is spreading throughout the empire, the first and most practical evidence of -hich is the stirring, patriotic leaF ing article in last Friday's Age, con eluding with the militant suggestion that the Commomvealth should con tribute the cost of an extra Dread nought to help England to main tain her supremacy at sea. The ar ticle puts the question thus: "Is Australia rich enough and loyal enough to provide Britain with the 'wherewithal to. build a Dread nought, whose service in an hour of supreme need might determine the existence of the -'-Empire ? There, can be but one answer to that question. The people of the Commonwealth will be eager I to make the gift, if their rulers sill but 'offer it to Britain, were it only- to - show the world the splen dor of Australia's loyalty, and to prove to Britain's jealous- rivals that she has colonies that are rea dy and willinig to assist her even before she needs to make the calL" i That is a noble sentiment forcibly conveyed, which will add enormously to the prestige of the most fairous journal in Australia. That the idea came at the 'psychological moment is evidenced in the enthusiasm ; with which it is being responded to.- The Argus did the next best thing- to making the suggestion by promptly endorsing it, while frankly complimen ting the Age in it' leading columns. Day - by day enthusisatic approval comes from all classes of individualsi and organisations, not .in 'Victoria only, brut 'in all the- States, while every reputable newspaper applamds and adopts the suggestion. Responsible politicians are naturally slow and cautious in committing themselves to an enterprise which in- | volves the appropriation of some £2,000,000. Such a gift can onlycome from the people themselves, and .Mini sir dowell to wait for clar d mi

spansosss inferstiot parliaments. A gift is precio in proportion toits cost?? self-enial involved in' t to the blthusieam reported together independel nf r pr io l genuine and unforced there e lrb no difficulty in getting it should by voluntary contributions 5gP to pay for the noblest specimen naval architecture which1,lrit'sh d nius has !yet devised. The fi Dreadnought is not yet five yea but is already almost h?solee arl view of the improvements in her? cessors. Every new vessel laid ir costs more than the one lbefore amn as a million and .three- qut sterling has been expended ? a? now in commission, it is not afe expect later ships to be tur.ed , for anything less than £2oo, 0 Australians are in earnest, they ' give the money and never m?a? It only means an average of ten?l lings a head, and though numb; cannot , spare even so un there are thousands and tens of , sands who could pay for hIl?",IrO their less fortunate neighbors ,it out sacrifice either of pleasuro at a. dit. Whatever is to be oloae bso be done promptly, for every dayv's lay will ,diminish the moral "Ee(td a movement, which, ii inmm ialI consummated, may lie as .eeft? averting war as the presen of extra Dreadnought would ln in faro ably determining one should it iror unavoidable. po

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