The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1909. IMPERIAL PROBLEMS.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 137, 10 June 1909, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1909. IMPERIAL PROBLEMS.

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Wβ are inclined to think that the •tatesmen. and journalists -who were originally responsible for the convocation of the Jmperial Press Conference could hardly have anticipated the importance that it wae destined to assume. In. the first place, all that was contemplated was a gathering* of representative journalists to discuss matters more or lees directly connected with, the rights and duties of newspapers, the transmission of news, and the facilitation, of journalistic enterprise. But the Home authorities eeem to have realised that this conference ■would afford a suitable opportunity for the consideration of a great variety of Imperial problems by representative- Imperialists, and even 80 far as the Conference hae progressed, the subjects debcted have been in the widest sense Imperial. At the same time the attendance of a number of distinguished statesmen and leaders of public thought has made the Conference itself Imperial in ito representative character. England's Foreign Minister, the First Lord of the Admiralty, Lord Rosebery, Lord Cromer, Mr. Alfred Lyttelton, and other eminent public men have by their presence and their speeches already conferred a distinction upon the Conference that it did not Eeem in the first place likely to achieve; and it is hardly too much to say that so far from being regarded a& & meeting of journalists interested chiefly in cablegrama and newspaper work, the Press Conference already takes rank as a prelude to the Imperial Conference on National Defence summoned to meet in July.

The topic submitted to the Conference yeeterday—the Press and the Navy—supplied a theme for two ex-

ceedingly important speeches on Imptrial Defence. Mr. McKfinna, as First ■Lord of the Admiralty, naturally dwelt upon the unity of the Imperial STa-vy and the necessity for regarding it as a national possession in which colonies and Mother Land alike poese&s a common interest. The strategic inference from Mr. McKenna'e argument Trould logically be that the Navy ougbt to he controlled l>y the central Imperial authority, and that its etrength. should be directed always not toward the defence of local interest*, but the maintenance of the Empire as a "Whole. However, Mr. McKenna was careful not to offend the eensibilities of the colonies by dogmatising about naval strategy, but contented himaelf with leaving the disposition of the Navy an open question, and appealing to his hearers always to place the Xavy above party, and , to treat it as the paramount interest of the Empire. Sir Edward Grey, as Foreign Minister, went even further than the First Lord of the Admiralty, in taking his hearers into his confidence, and treating them as colleagues in the administration of '■Imperial affairs. The principles of peaceful consolidation and development, and the maintenance of British political ideals that he laid down for the Empire's guidance are such as all intelligent and loyal Colonists will heartily approve. But while he laid stress on the pacific nature of England's foreign policy, Sir Edward Grey did not hesitate to address a warning to his hearers in terms quite as impressive as those employed by Lord Rosebery on the tame subject a few days before. The signs of the times in Europe are ominous, and England' must be on her guard; but the moral of the Foreign Minister's speech ie that if the Navy is maintained at a high level of efficiency, and the unity of the Empire is preeerv. Ed, England and her dependencies can face the future boldly and confidently.

Colonial opinion on these great problems of Empire was ably set forth by the editor of the Sydney " Daily Telegraph." Mr. Ward rightly emphasised the vital importance of England's naval supremacy to Australasia, and the necessity lor defending and keeping open the lines of communication along which the Empire's commerce runs. And he admitted frankly that the self-governing colonies owed it to themselves as well as to England to assist in maintaining Britain's control of the seas. Mr. Ward's question as to how it would profit Australia to provide cruisers if the Imperial Government must go on protecting the other Australasian colonies with British squadrons is one that will be more easily discussed at the July Conference; but it is significant that the Australian and Canadian delegates appear to agree that England has been rather too generous than too exacting in her requests for assistance from the colonies toward the support of the Navy. And we believe that public feeling throughout Australasia will fully endorse Mr Ward's statement that we are prepared to take an adequate part in any scheme of defence that England's responsible naval authorities determine to adopt. This, again, is in a sense an anticipation of the Imperial Defence Conference. But as matters now stand, the Prees Conference has been transformed into something very like a " curtain raiser " for the more imposing scenes that are to hold the Imperial stage next month, and we may reflect with satisfaction and pride that there couM.be no higher tribute to the prestige and influence-oi British iouraai-