AUSTRALIAN NAVAL DEFENCE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11151, 18 December 1901, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN NAVAL DEFENCE.

ADMIRAL BEAUMONT'S SCHEME SUPPORTED. THE QUENSLAND COMMAND ANT'S SCHEME. United Preea Association —By Electric • Telegraph—Copyright. (Received December 17th, 9.9 turn.) LONDON, December 16. .Admiral Sir Nathaniel Bowden Smith and Sir John Coiomb, the well known authorities on Imperial and Colonial Defence, support Rear-Admiral Beaumont's Australian naval A FEDERAL NAVY. . (Received December 17th, 9.35 a.m.) MELBOURNE, December 17. Captain W. E. Cresw«ll,,,O.M.G., Naval Commandant of Queensland, and late of iSua Royal Navy, has furnished Mr Barton with a report on. the possibilities of acquiring a Federal Navy, and employing Australian seamen for the defence of the Commonwealth's commerce and ports. He contends that Australia should take an active personal share in her own defence. An insuperable bar to tutving her own aavj was said l to be the original cost of four million pounds, and £100,000 as the annual charges of maintenance. Captain Creswell declares that the alternative proposal of an increased contribution .to the Imperial Government is one; of stagnation and continued naval impotence for Australia. As the first principle -he lays down that a naval scheme must be gradually developed on sound lines, each forward step being met with a reduction of the annna,! contribution to the Imperial Government, to lead finally to Australia taking over the protection of her own floating trade. He makes the following suggestions as a first step: — The provision of one modern cruiser specially designed to suit local conditions, wth an armament of the latest pattern; the coasts and ports of Australia to be divided into naval districts for training purposes, eaoh district to raise one ship's company, a ship to make a round of the districts twice yearly for practical training purposes. He estimates the cost of one cruiser at £300,000, and the cost of maintenance at £47,000 annually. The latter would be met by the transfer of one-third of the present contribution to the Auxiliary Squadron, and a £12,000 reduction in the outlay on present naval expenditure. - -

Captain Greswell urges i&ai the first ship should be ordered at once, to be completed by 1903, and an additional one ordered every .second year up to 1907. He suggests setting aside £300,000 to £350,000 annually for ten years for naval defence, which would suffice to provide five cruisers suitable for Australian defence, leave no debt, and provide for all required renewals. There are 1800 men tinder the various State naval forces, "and -with proper training afloat they could be made an effective body for sea service, while there are some 29,000 engaged in the sea and river services of the Commonwealth who could be drawn upon. The scheme is designed to develop Australia's naval capacity at the least cost to the country.

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