DEFENCE POLICY.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16701, 9 December 1919, Page 6

DEFENCE POLICY.

STATEMENT BY THE FEUVTE I MTNISTEE. f (PJIKSS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) AUCKLAND, December 8. A statement explanatory of tho Government policy towards dcfcnco by land and sea wns mado by tho Prime Ministor last evening. Ho said: Tho mattor of training in camp has not been boforo Cabinet in any shape or form. •Sir James Allen never intonded to convey any other impr<ssicn. I repeat that nothing whatsoever has boon derided. My own opinion is that tho whole defence scheme will have to bo revised and readjusted. Parliament will bo riven otriortuni'v of d-> : "" so. In view of our war experience and tho report of Admiral Jeilicoo, I believo that our wh-olu d.'f. :::-r j>o.:<-v, ii .-iutling naval defence, must be rec-nstnict-«l. It mny be noted that one of tho planks of my nli'form was the revives of the defence so as to rrdnoe the disturbance of industry. In all our succestirns f -r better nava! nrotoction Pnc.fie *thero has never been any idea of a lo"al navy Iu .accordance with Admiial Jollx-ce's proposes, th<* sntiedr""s to b»» stationed !n -n l W aid Australian wnt"rs will be in each env> 1 -eal units rf tlie Imperial Navy. Tlktc is one coming bore, n ]->W nr,T, wlreH will be under New Zealand fintrol, arid available to yvn*r mr-n tv'-o desire to en tor the Royal Naw, either as r.f;.-ers or as soomoi. That shin w'll »:,]:« the nlaeo of the Philomel. r.-M'-i. is out of s ut>f, w'm cottio ••vjll be, |,v t),p n-:'t-\!i"Onve— :n-nt, and w : ll b~ in: !er th- con'H V™ n V' ; 7,;' ; t "f i'-- Imperial N, * v -:; V r " \i n ''\ "r»on to prowle ships, fbon'.'li v.,- shall be e;ported to contribute fn tho maintenance of them ospo-allv in tho ee-,. of thnco flrr.s -.vhnfo l"-n'!'juartcrs will be an iSew Zealand waters.