ONE FLEET AND ONE FLAG.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 123, 25 May 1909, Page 4

ONE FLEET AND ONE FLAG.

em lAIN'S SEA POWER. THE COLONIES' KELP. ADMIRAL POORE'S VIEW (By Cable—Press Assoclatlon.-Copyrlgut) SYDNEY, May 24. ' A stirring speech on naval defence*,;" made at one of the Empire Day H e w tions this afternoon by Vice-Admiral £ Richard Poore (in command of the W tralasian squadron). *"? "A year ago,"-he said, Ye held unchallenged the proud title of mistress!! the seas. We Tiold that title still K,I" not unchallenged. We have been brought face to face with the fact that 'll certain conditions our peaceful command of the seas may be endangered. We 3' strain every nerve and gladly make anY sacrifice, so that our command of tv 1 seas shall be recognised as absolute," ™ '"' "Germany," he continued, "had reach ed the point of being able to build *, .speedily as Britain, and in tttee\eaii 'from now she would have equal if not a superior, force of the latest type °f i battleships ready for sea.. The TOnf I Alliance existed, and Germany ixis the Power in the Northern seas, and Austris and Italy in the Mediterranean, and bets' the latter Powers were building Brc»rf noughts. f, : v™* "Any disaster to the British fleet in the North Sea or the Channel would ' imperil the safety of the Empire- and this fact held equally good, as far. ja the Mediterranean was concerned■■■-In" either case the routes to the East and Australia would be cut. He did""™!; speak as an alarmist or a pessimist, but • simply put his opinion before them-ag« naval officer, speaking on his own re-' sponsibility. -'•'.-; ; , "' "They had looked gravecrises in the face in the past, and a race was never at its best until faced with an cmergnncy Why a state of things which threatened their existence £3 an Empire should suddenly have been brought to pass wai a matter difficult to understand.-, If' there were two races in the world-which should march side by side they were the British and Teutonio races. Both wen mercantile, and their instincts andieej.. ings were almost identical, rlettheia: consider the capital invested in the world's affairs by British and Tentonle i races. Should either fail there would bY : world-wide financial catastrophe. sider what power for good would ehsis from the two races meeting with com? mercial rivalry only, "There unfortunately existed at present an extraordinary and acute miutary antagonism, for which he could not but ' think there had been excuses on both 0 sides. The present crisis must be met: by the co-operation of- the Mother Couni try and the colonies, Alluding to the naval schemes jut forward by Australia, he said they; should resolve to meet the danger which was common to all parts of the Empire. The Dreadnought movement showed;» keen appreciation' that the first and-ibre-most necessity was the command of the sea. The scheme to provide a torpedo flotilla Would be in the defence of Australian ports, or as an auxiliary to the main, fleets, if ever engaged in thfcse waters, but*the 1 true defence of Australia lay in the capacity, of the main fleets of the'EnVfiite over .tW power of the main fleets.of the enemy. Whatever form the naval defence for local purposes took it mUBt be ■under Ira- ■•■•. perial control. The personnel must br trained by Imperial officers and men, and there must be a constant flow of officers-, and men, Australian or otherwise; pas* ■"■ ing from the great naval fflinoeuvrt" ' grounds. There could be no divided con- ' ! trol in naval defence. There could only, be one fleet and one flag. ,: ".'.;;■! The scheme for an Australasian navy was one that at this time he would not discuss. If Australia could build 15 Dreadnoughts, or their equivalent;, in'the next five years for duty hi the ifSwi; | and equip them, Well and gddd, but the. period with Which they were concerned was the next five years. They must act now, and that word "now" must be spelt in capital letters. If they were united and prepared they would in the end hold their own.' If they were not united-or-let matters drift; each of them- would bs more or less responsible should disaster occur. THE ISSUES DEFINED. ',", |: (Received 10.30 a.m.)' ' - '' SYDNEY, this day./ The "Daily Telegraph" says Admird Poore deserves cordial thanks for such■•■•a celar statement of the naval situation, and says that neither the politician nor the elector can in future remain in ignorance of the issues awaiting settlement - through their action,