Colonies and the Naval Defence.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXII, Issue 6486, 3 February 1905, Page 4

Colonies and the Naval Defence.

THE MOTHER COUNTRY NEEDS HELP. An influential deputation from the Imperial Defence Committee and others on Decombir 10th waited upon Mr Balfour at the Foreign Office for the purpose of laying before him the necessity of complete co-op-eration between all parts of the Hmpise for th« maintenance of a navy essential to the 1 re?ervation or their maritime interests. irfir Michael Hicks-Beach, who iotroduead the deputation, Eaid it-was not just that the fovty million people of the United Kingdom should bear the burden, whilst the ten million of the colonies contributed hardly at all. Canada did not contribute one penny. Sir Michael, continuing, said the lessons of tho past twelve months ought not to be forgotten. Mr Baifour, replying, paid a compliment to biv Michael Hicks-Beach for his powerful, lucid, and temperate speech. It was not possible twenty years ago to foresee the changed conditions of the world. He had fiMnkly to say that the unhappy change which was taking place m the distribution of armament* throughout the world showed no signs of being of a less menacing character to tho safety of the Empire and depe a - dencies m the future, but rather called for otir greater watchfulness. We had to consider not merely things as they existed now, but. how they were likely to be m the future. The colonies has hitherto been as our children, but as they were growing up that fact carried with it the necessity of bearing a larger share m the common support of the household. This must be a gradual and slow process. As they knew, he was strongly m favour of a Colonial Conference for the discussion of the closer commerc al union of the Empire. It would be improper that any such conference should be restricted from discussing anything which tended to the closer union of the Empire. If a Conference was to meet unhampered and unfettered to discuss a question of importance to the Empire he trusted the temper m which it w©uld meet would not be how much each fragment of the Empire could get out of other fragments, but how much could each fragment of the Empire give to the common whole. The Conference would have difficulties to consider, but' he was unable to contemplate that they would be unable to overcome them.