THE ALL RED ROUTE

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 81, 30 December 1907, Page 6

THE ALL RED ROUTE

The attack which Sir John Colonib has made, in a letter to the London " Times," upon the proposal to establish an " All Red" connection between Great Britain, Canada, arid Australasia appears to indicate that, like most "Empire subjects'', nowadays, the proposal is causing no little-ill-feeling in quarters whose Imperialism is unimpeacliably orthodox. It ifc regrettable that the proposal, l to which Canada, Australia, ■ and New Zealand were very large measure. com-, mitted by their representatives at the Imperial Conference, should be turninginto an apple of discord, and it is to be hoped-that the Committee that lias been taking such an unconscionably long time over the inquiry into the practicability of establishing the " All lied Route" will present its report without any unnecessary delay. So far as New Zealand is concerned, the first question to be settled is the question of cost. The generous leave which Sir Joseph Ward took in announcing ,the measure of New Zealand's anxiety-. 'to have the new service by no means pledges this country to agree to foot any bill whatsoever. We should all be pleased if this country could say that expense is no object when it is a question of acting "Imperially," but our sentiment must not outrun our chequebook. Conscious as we are of the enormous attractions of the " All Red Route," and its potential advantages to the Empire, we are afraid .that the financial difficulties in the way of this country's participation in' the scheme will be found to be insuperable." Sir John Colomb's objections to the proposal are of a. kind not hitherto advanced by other hostile critics. .If the summary of his letter that has been cabled omits nothing essential, it would appear that he considers the scheme useless as anything more 1 than a piece of sentiment, and to be opposed, therefore, as " a gigantic and costly sham" that i 3 being engineered by means of "emotional claptrap." Wliat appears particularly to discompose him, however, is the fear that this '"gigantic and costly sham" will ,iiot only weaken the concentration of British attention upon the' needs 1 of. the Navy, but will prejudice the possibility of increased colonial concern for, and contributions to, the maintenance of Britain's naval supremacy. "If 'the nation," he says, " wishes to postpone so terrific a catastrophe as the abandonment of the two-Power standard for the Navy, it must refuse to listen to colonial appeals for money to multiply sea-routes in order to facilitate commercial operations unless the colonies mil consent to share the responsibilities and the cost of maintenance of the fleet." This is frank rather than palatable, downright rather than diplomatic; but the question is too important to warrant the colonies standing on their dignity and taking offence. It is necessary to say, however, that we havo no doubt whatever that New Zealand regards its co-operation in maintaining the Navy as of greater importance than the indulgence of a costly sentiment. If Sir John Colomb really believes that the overseas Dominions of the Empire are so selfish and so short-sighted as to be willing to evade theilr' naval responsibilities in order to multiply their trade routes, ho has drawn his conclusions from other quarters than from New Zealand. Sir Joseph Ward may have outLauriored Sir Wilfrid Laurier in his keenness for the "All Red Route," but it must be remembered, in fairness to him, that he at the same time expressed his anxiety to increase New Zealand's contribution to the up-keep I of the Australian Stjuadroiu