IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 532, 12 June 1909, Page 5

IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

A ROAD TO CLOSER UNION. MR. BALFOUR ON THE CONFERENCE. PRO-CONSULS' TOURS. (BY TELEOnAI'H— PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (Rec. Juno 11, 10.55 p.m.) • London, June 11. Tlie Constitutional Club gave a luncheon in honour of the delegates to the Press Conference. Mr. Balfour (Leader of the Opposition), in proposing "The Guests," said the debates of the past week upon Imperial defence must have caused a glow of pride to, every man with Imperial instincts. Everybody recognised that tho parental. stago towards the colonies was over, and that wo had now reached the stage of formal equality. He was unable even to conceive what .form of general closer organic unity the Empire would take, but the form for purposes of defonoo might tako shape from the development of the Defence Committee, on which the voice of men of colonial experience had already proved of great value. Mr. J. 0. Fairfax (Sydney), responding, said the delegates had' been struck very forcibly by the way,in which party lines in Britain, if not obliterated, get completely ignored. They had heard much which would help them to impress Imperial ideas upon the peoplo in their own lands. Referring to tho recent Empire tours of Lord Curzon (who visited South Africa), and Lord Milner (who visited Canada), Mr. Fairfax said he hoped that other Pro-Consuls would follow their example by visiting other of the Dominions. LEADERS IN AGREEMENT London, June 10. The "Daily Mail" commente on the astonishing unanimity displayed at the Press Conference with regard to the Navy. Though the subject is fraught with all the elements of political controversy, Sir Edward Grey agrees with Lord Rosebery, Mr.' Balfour with Sir Edward Grey, and Mr. Haldane with Mr. Balfour. ■ DEFENCE, NOT DEFIANCE. I PROTECTING NAVY AND MODERATE ....-.,■ ARMY. y :■■ London, June 10. Mr. M'Kenna, First Lord of the Admiralty, speaking at the Shipwrights' Company's dinner, said: "We should have power to secure an ocean highway alike to ourselves and to others. Wβ have no great army behind our Navy, we can injure no nation. "Our Navy could injure anottier's commerce, but we know that injury to the commerce of other nation is an injury to bur own." , ' ' ' . . ' : DREADNOUGHT NOT THE BEST WAY. /ADMIRALTY AND AUSTRALIA. ~ , , Melbourne, June il. Though no definite statement has yet been made; it is understood that the Imperial authorities have expressed the view that the defence of Australia will bo best served not by providing a Dreadnought, but in somo other way...