GIFT DREADNOUGHTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 473, 3 April 1909, Page 6

GIFT DREADNOUGHTS.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE PREMIER. TO BE PAID FOR IN OUR OWN TIME. OTHER' DEFENCE PROPOSALS. In his speech last night at Upper Hutt, tho Primo Minister (Sir J. G. Ward) made a statement on tho Government's position and intentions in regard to tho offer of a Dreadnought to the Imperial Government. Ho said that some critics had expressed absnrdly erroneous ideas as to the constitutional position in the matter. The 'Executive, or the Cabinet, wero tho agents of Parliament during the recess, and what they did required constitutionally to bo ratified' by* 'Par-' liament. If Parliament did not do so. tho courso of tlio Government was perfectly clear. They must either resign or ask the people of tho country whether or not thoy approved of tho action taken. If the peoplo's verdict was unfavourable, the clear duty of tho Government was to go out of office. Tlio members of tho Cabinot fully recognised this position, and took tho action thoy did with their eyes open, and -without a moment's hesitation, becauso thoy believed it was tho right courso. He believed that when tho matter camo before Parliament tho members would endorse the course that had ueen taken in the loyal desire to help tho Empire in what hod been an important crisis in its history. (Applause.)

Why M.P.'s Were Not Consulted. It had been suggested that tho Government should have consulted members of Parliament by tolegram, as was clone in the case of giving help at the time of tho South African war. The circumstances, however, wore entirely different. No Government would accept the responsibility of sending human lives away to battlefields in another portion of the Empire without first obtaining a recognition from members of Parliament, because ratification afterwards could not possibly make good tho loss of lifo that was to bo oxpected. Tho question of presenting a battleship in a time of crisis was an entirely different matter. It would havo to rocoivo the ratification of Parliament, and tho British Government had beon. informed to that effect when the offer was made. He was proud to be able to say that, as far as he could see, tho action of I ho Government was approved froni th« Nurih Cape to tho Bluff, if not unanimous",.', then at o : l events by a large majority of tjw j.-coplo, showing that they wero favourable iu tho maintenance of the power of the British luupiro to which they were proud to belong. The Premier also drew attention to the spec i; " r Sir Edward Grey, in which tho Foreign .-ctary stated that Germany would eventual!; :>ye 34 Dreadnoughts, and tho most poweir ' ivivy in the world, and that, therefore, i. i!:<ct the national poril, England must ve-t.'.iM her Navj. " Aro we going to say," as'-f-i .lie Premier, "that because of the opposii of a section of the community, however v intcutioned, wo aro not going to show flio ordinary eonrago which as a race we ate ■p rp "*' '<> possess? Tiie Governmont has followed constitutional course, and you cannot find iii history a government that wa s worth -,ilt, that would have delayed jr. such a mar- • by sending out telegrams, instead of actim; at onoe,

and trusting to Parliament to ratify its action, as wo have dono." Financial Arrangements. Proposals would bo submitted to Parliament for the repayment of tho principal, tho interest, and a sinking fund on tho loan to bo raised, tho repayment to bo effected, not by those who would follow us, but by ourselves in our own time. (Applause.) This would bo dono without trenching on any of tho present sources of tho consolidated rovenuo. I lie rovenuo for tho would bo specially earmarked. Not for Commercial Reasons. There was no such thing as party about a proposal of tho kind, and ho regretted that party considerations had been introduced in tho Old Land, so far as Now Zealand's offer was concerned. Tho oiler was not made to bring about colonial preference. (Hoar, hear.) It was not mado for commercial rcaS °j S (>ar ' hear) —but to make stronger and greater and more impregnable the power and prestige, of tho British Empire on tho seas, which was essential to tho interests of every portion of the Empire. (Applause.) How much were wo doing as a country from tlid standpoint of our own protection, in presorting one, and if necessary two, battleships _to tho Empire, and what, were wo getting in return? We wore getting tho support, of the whole British Navy, wherever it might be. No Local Navy. Thoso who thought tho arbitrament of war between tho nations was going to be settled around the coasts of Australia, Now Zealand, Canada, were very much mistaken, tf New Zealand was going to embark on any undertaking in the shape of a local navy, if they were going to be foolish enough to go in for submarines and destroyers, without a fleet to attach them to, for which the oountry could not bear the expense, of what assistance would such a service be to tho Old Land in a time of crisis if they wore called upon to carry out the defcnco of a Dominion thousands of miles from their shores? If the Old Land by any chance was called upon to look to her defences, such a system of defence would bo an absolutely uncountable quantity. The course to be followed was quite clear to those who considered the position impartially. The protection of the country s interests must be looked to far away from our shores. The protection of ?l T oi a i~v? rn6 P from New Zealand to the Old Country was the British Navy, and if they realised that as a people they had'to look for- protection in that quarter, then they must co-operate by means of internal equipment and land forces to help at any time when the country should be threatened. In these days a great battleship could bo seven miles _o,r further out at sea and bombard Dunedin, Oamaru, or Timaru, could shell Chnstchurch from the sea, or Wellington, or even Auckland, from well outsido the harbour. Some people were urging that they should co-operate with the Australian Continent in having an inadequate system of submarines and destroyers. With their own knowledge of these things, they could not but see tho childishness of such a proposal, when they kept in view other important interests. Defence Reforms, The Government proposed to submit to larliament nex assion—and he hoped to receivo tho sur it of all members in regard ... a ma ' lla ' "Iteration in connection with our system of defence.. They would submit proposals, not of a compulsory chari ?i' ou ' d Gnsure » national system of drill for the youth of the country from the time thoy wont to school, passing through cadet and volunteer rorps, until they reached the ago of 21 years. This would make it absolutely certain that tho younger port-ion of the community would be equipped in this direction as efficiently, and as effectively as it thoy tried- to force upon them a system of compulsion which a great many people were opposed to. In the proposals which would be made to Parliament they would be able to submit a very much better scheme of defence than was in existence at present, and one that would bo stronger and better than anything previously tried, as far as internal defences were concerned. No Jingoism. There > was.;not' 'of ' tlie"'jMdfent Administration actuated by any spirit' or feeling of jingoism. They were favourable to peace, which every right-thinking person desired. They must take the responsibility of the growing valuo of the country, and must help to maintain that position which wont to ensure the continuity of peaco. lncy should have assistance of large nurobcrS of ,m en who mi e llt 1)0 termed the r reserve. They would make provision for rifle ranges from end to end of New Zealand at the cost of the country. They would see also that overy one of the rifle clubs of the Dominion received a supply of ammunition free, to the extent of 250 rounds per man. It was realised that rifle clubs were actively engaged in training men who would be of the utmost value at an emergency. 1

A. Strong Land Forco,

Without 'introducing any spirit of militarism they ought tb bo able to have available a strong land forcc, which could be brought into active co-operation with other forces, to maintain our position, if attached. I hey recognised that Britain must be ready upon the sea to uphold that supremacy with which pur existence as an island dominion, the existence of Great Britain itself, and those interests outside our own, should be reserved, and Great Britain should be maintained mistress of the sea. The Ministry in these tilings had no other motive, cxccpt the recognition of the enormous responsibility resting upon tlioir shoulders of doing what they believed to be right and best in maintaining unsullied, in the interests of the present and future generations, the country that was proud to belong to the Old Land, proud to fly the British flag. (Applause.)

Views of Mr. Buchanan, M.P,

Speaking at the opening of the Featherston Post Offico yesterday, Mr. W. C. Buchanan, M.P., alluded to the Government's offer of a Dreadnought. Ho said that the Premier had done the right thing, and when Parliament met ho would have no stronger supporter in tho matter than himself. The step taken should have the heartiest- endorsement of every man who claimed the name of Britisher. Tho people would not consider in 1912 or 1013 than an undue burden had been plaeed upon them, when they realised that the Empiro might have been involved in an infinitely more disastrous conflict than the South African War. There were people in some countries who never got beyond thoughts of the Almighty Dollar, but such a class as that was fortunately in a minority in New Zealand. What he had expressed was his own personal opinion, but lie felt sure that it was also the opinion of the Opposition generally, and lie did not know that there would bo a dissentient voice among them.