DEFENCE PLAN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 120, 22 May 1937, Page 12

DEFENCE PLAN.

LONDON ISSUE.

SECURITY IN PACIFIC.

BRITAIN'S EASTERN FLfcET.

DOMINIONS TO SHARE COST?

(By SENEX.)

At the Imperial Conference in London issues are being decided which are fraught with the highest importance for tho Dominions. It is the most momentous conference since for the first time, in 1911, the Dominions had explained to them the basis of British foreign policy, aml it is certain to exercise considerable effect upon the Budgets of the Dominions for the next few years.

One "feeler" thrown out by the conference, the suggestion by Mr. J. A. Lyons, (if Australia, that there should be a Pacific Pact, has met with the cool reception which anyone familiar with United States Pacific policy would perdict for it. The Pacifie area is covered by fewer pacts than almost any other area of the earth. It was excluded from League of Nations' agreements, and at the eud of 1936 it emerged from the qualifications of pacts relating to noncreation of naval bases over its surface, pacts signed by Britain, the United States and Japan. But Britain is taking a step which will make her a naval Power without rival in the world. She lias determined to create a fleet in the Pacific whica will be without rival there, and to begin a period as a first-rate naval Power on both sides of the world. The announcement of the intention to create an Eastern Fleet was made by Sir Samuel Hoare at the time of the introduction of the Xaval Estimates to the House , of Commons. The declaration was in the clearest possible terms, yet for some reason this important new departure was not appreciated at its true worth by the British Press, which concentrated its attention on other sides of the speech.

Since the statement was made, however, there, has been opportunity to analyse what is meant by Sir Samuel Hoare'a plan, and it is revealed that warships costing a total of £70,000,000 to build, including about five battleships, will be stationed in the Pacific. Dominions' Help Sought. This obviously is a move of tremendous importance, and one which is also very costly. It is also obvious that the British Government will not bear the whole cost of it, if it can help it. The Imperial Defence Conference thus will be hearing some details of costs and taxation, and it is fairly evident that some assistance from the Dominions is likely to be sought. When defending New Zealand's defence policy last August, the Minister of Defence declared that New Zealand was spending 5/7 per head per annum- on defence, against Australia's 7/4, Canada's 4/ and South Africa's 10/. But these figures seem small when set beside Mr: Jones* estimate of Britain's annual expenditure per head—£l 1/5. That is to say, Britain is doing almost four times as much as New Zealand and five times as much as Canada, and is about to do even more.

The position which has been created is obviously the outcome of the lapse of the close Anglo-Japanese understanding, which before the World War wae a major factor in our ' politics, and which enabled the British Navy to rest secure in its belief that it would have an overwhelming concentration of force in Pacific waters because of its support from Japan. To-day Japan appear* ae a possible'adversary who might step in to attack the British Dominions and colonies at a time when Britain was embarrassed by conflict in Europe. Japan has formed a pact against Communism with Germany and Italy, and it is persistently reported that she has formed a military alliance as well. The creation of such a powerful Eastern fleet hints that there may be something in this recurrent rumour. New Zealand'* Air Policy, For some time, it has been obvious that a big naval move is pending. There has been, for instance, the suggestion that Australia was about to reduce expenditure .on her own navy and increase her contribution to the British Admiralty, a course which all the Dominions are likely to be invited to follow at the London Conference. But that ia only one feature of the Imperial meeting. For the question of air defence and of Dominion home defence also arises. In New Zealand it is known that the ultimate aim of our air policy is, after the training school for pilots is established and new machines are bought, to obtain heavy bombers which will be able to make a long hop from Sydney to Singapore, to aid in the defence of that base in emergency. But the real problem of this country in time of war—the problem of our sea lanes and the protection of our shipping bearing vital supplies to Britain (the life blood of our commerce and the very food of the British people)—can only be met by the provision of adequate sea forces, and these are what the Eastern Fleet will provide. Attitude of Dominions. In the past the Dominions have undoubtedly enjoyed naval protection at a very cheap rate. Will they relish paying for it now? The Australians appear prepared to do so; their nearness to the East and their lively fears of Japan will help them to make up their mind. The Canadians have been erecting some fortifications on their west coast, but their nuval policy is still moribund, and their general defence policy is reliance on the United States, which, it is known, has made plans to counter a possible invasion of the Dominion. The South Africans, Lusy in their way, have been concentrating on air and on the creation of a useful base from which to maintain commapd of the adjacent seas. But the request to m«et an increased defence vote comes at an awkward time. The Dominions' :oint of view is that they are doing their bit by making themselves immune to attack and developing measures to end raids against their commerce. The British point of view U that this is a useful step, but that the possibility of the intervention of another first-class Power (Japan) in an ocean which washes the shores of three of the four Dominions cannot be overlooked, and that, failings pact with the United States, there should be some' assistance granted towards the cost of the new Eastern fleet. The precedent l-as been set by the contributions

the cost of the Singapore Base, r/:d :t is diflicult to see how the Dorniriuiie can refuse the Mother Country -nne of the .id she aeks now.