EMPIRE ARMAMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 579, 6 August 1909, Page 5

EMPIRE ARMAMENTS.

DELEGATES' PROGRESS, Imperial scheme: joiny burden. SHARES NOT FIXED. (By I'eleeraph.—l'ross Assoclation.-OoDyrlirbt.) (Rec. .August 5, 9.55 p.m.) London, August 5. The Imperial Defence Conferences has not yet--as was reported yesterday—appointed a committee, of exports to deal with tlld naval memorandum. The memorandum,covers 6uch an amount of ground that the Conference will meet tomorrow and resume the-general discussion. Further sittings will possibly bo hold before the mass of details is handed to the experts. There has been niuch'detailed discussion, but an expert's committee is necessary before & plan of action is perfected and agreed on. Thus far the delegates have subscribed to the general principle that an Imperial scheme of defence is essential, and that the burden must be a joint ono. TYbat form the scheme shall take, and what proportion of the burden the overseas Dominions shall bear, are matters for future arrangement. CIFT-DREADNOUCHt. ■ AUSTRALIA AND THE SUBSIDY. London, August 4. Soma of the English newspapers nro discussing the Australian offer of a Dreadnought as though the Commonwealth desired the battleship when built to be restrioted to Australian waters, and to be used independently of sttch general Imperial measures for defence of the Australian Coast as t.he authorities may advise. Another newspaper error, which has led to misapprehension is that the- Commonwealth desirss to' shorten the existing arfSmgerneht for the 'subsidising of the Au6traliaii Squadron. In face of this, Colonel Foxton, the Australian delegate to • the Imperial Defence Conference, found it necessary to make known that there was no dosife to interfere with the existing arrangement..

NARROW MARQIN OF DR3TROYER3. THE CLOSURE. LOntloM, August 4. In tho House of Commons tho Navy Estimates were agreed to without a division. ' In the course of a desultory debate, Mr. A. H. Lee, Conservative moniber for Fareham, condemned tJio Government's failure to provide sufficient up-to-date destroyers. When the existing programmes wexe completed, ho said, Britain would have eigHtyfour destroyers against Germany's seventytwo—a proportion ludicrously .insufficient. The discussion on tho report stages of the Naval) Military, and Civil Estimates. wa»s closured, and votes totalling seventy-five millions'sterling wore passed.