EMPIRE AND NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 489, 23 April 1909, Page 5

EMPIRE AND NAVY.

/(/■■ - *y*"- •-,i ',".'.,■?■, ■■'■'-h' : -.i'- :■' CRY' FOR'" HOSE SHIPS.' THE ROYAL COLONIAL INSTITUTE. > : ;- A PROTEST, lui TB[,EOB»rn—rnEss association—corrmauT.) . ',' (Rec. April 22, 10 ( &p.rn.) Lqhdon, April 22. .' Tho Royal Colonial Institute lias adopted a resolution expressing grave concern at the Government's disclosures regarding the Navy, and asking that the present year'B shipbuilding programmo bo augmented forthwith; also, thanking the colonies for their gallant and spontaneous offers of battleships, and welcoming Mr. Asquith's - proposal for an Imperial Naval Conference. Sir Josiah Symon—tho well-known South Australian advocate, and former/ AttornoyGenoral of the Commonwealth) a great worker for Australian federal union— strongly dopreeated the condemnation ;of the Government's policy,' which was implied in the resolution. He urged' that ltho Navy must bo the floating bulwark of the Emp'iro in the Pacific, equally with the North Sea, and declared that Australia would pour out her treasure and blood for its maintenance. Mr. Asquith's suggestion of the necessity for a continuous policy in' naval administration was likely to deeply appeal to Australians. ■~,■;.''■' Tho resolution was passed with a dozen dissentients. [The Koyal Colonial Institute, founded in 1868 and incorporated by Eoyal Charter in 1882, is established for; inter alia, the discussion of colonial and Indian subjects generally, but "no paper shall be read, nor any discussion be permitted to tako place, tending to giVe the Institute a party character." Sir Josiah Symon, no doubt, had this rule in view in making his protest.] ~■..■■•■;, NOT MERELY A DREADNOUGHT. MR, FISHER OFFERS THE WHOLE, IF WANTED. (Rec. April 22, 0.20 p.m.) .Sydney, April 22.' Speaking at Newcastle, ; tho. Commonwealth Prime Minister, Mr, Fisher, said ho. : had pledged his (Labour) party to • offer :Britain,; in the event of trouble,, not only a Dreadnought, but the whole resources of tho country i . !,',.'..