COLONIAL CRUISERS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 600, 31 August 1909, Page 5

COLONIAL CRUISERS.

BERESFORD AGAIN. AN OPEN ATLANTIC HICHWAY. MUCH BETTER THAN DREADNOUGHTS. (By Toleiripli.—Pr«a» Association.—CoDjrlebt.l . (Rec. August 30, 10.30 p.m.) ' . , ' Ottawa, August 30. > Admiral Lord Charles Boresford, who is visiting Canada, in a conversation reported in the Montreal "Witness" states: "We want cruisers, and will have them. If the trade route between Canada and Britain is not kept clear, disaster will follow. "Armed tramps j are what we fear. Dreadnoughts are, only for going along with a large fleet. Cruisers can pursue armed tramps, and can prevent the destruction'of commerce. "Cruisers," concluded Admiral BeresfoTd, "are much better for the l colonies than Dreadnoughts." AUSTRALIAN SCHEME. CRITICISM BY THE LABOUR LEADER. Melbourne, August 30. Mr. A. Fisher, ex-Federal Premier, tagards the new Navy Agreement between Australia and the Admiralty with serious misgivings. .; ' If l , the agreement means,. he Bays, that there will bo no -Australian Navy, but an improved Imperial Squadron for Australia, it is a huge national blunder. If u means a greater contribution by the Commonwealth towards the creation of- an Australian Navy by the Motherland, it is less to be condemned. ',

.If the agreement means a real Australian Navy, then tho only mistake is that it is mixed up with a loan policy. Mr. Fisher' is convinced that to build up a fleet or an army out of loan money would end in and .-kill tho' national ( pride of the people. : ' .; - - . .. : A NAVAL COLLEGE. ■ Syrinoy, August 30. Tho Federal Minister for Defence, Mr Joseph Cook, referring to" the satisfactory

results of the Imperial Dofenco Conference, says the Government will:-have-to begin at once to establish a naval college of firstclass quality. . CRITICISM OF MR. MASSEY'S VIEWS. WHAT THE' DEFENCE MINISTER THINKS; Beferrinfr to the -criticism by Mr. W.- P. Massey, Leader of the Opposition, of the decision of.the Imperial Defenco Conference as out-, lined \by Mr. Asquith, Prime-Minister of .Great Britain', the Hon. G. Fowlds,' Acting-Minister for Defence, - says he is amazed that such remarks should have fallen from. Mr. Massey, who has: (he . says) so ' frequently paraded his patriotism and Imperialism. ' "It is an open secret," continues Mr. Fowlds, "that in connection with the whole question of onr'offer of a Dreadnought and of the Imperial Conferen<M;Mr.. Massey, has been out of touch with a good many of his principal followers,; but I venture to thinlc that they must'havo jhad a cold shiver all over When they, read his latest pronouncement on the-subject this (yesterday) morning. . -What is the variation from the original offer which calls forth this criticism from the .leader of the Opposition P- The change from a Dreadnought to ah Indomitable. Lord Charles - Ber£.sford contends that the Indomitable is of the 'two the superior fighting muchine, and certainly if tho battlcsliip 1 giveiv by New Zealand is;to havo any/direct mission in connection with the. defence of our coasts and -the surrounding seas, the; Indomitable is for that purpose undoubtedly tho superior fighting-machine. . . -"Then, again, ;Mr. Massey, is: also disappointed'that nothing has been arrangedabout : tho' /ordinary' land-dofehce' ol- New' ; Zealand,'.,. Il'a's--.he'.hot 'rea'd;;. that, it' has been ' Agreed ' at- the conference to unify the system of training, or-, fcanisation,. and,.transport, 'under, ah Imperial staff ? How much further, does; lie want the arrangement to go? - He;-laments that nothing is said about national training. Does ho want to hand over the control of the national training of th'eyonths of New Zealand to an authority'outside New Zealand? If he does,'l can assure him that the people of New Zealand have no such intention. • Mr. Massey also expressed regrett.that some arrangement had not beeh i : made ;! by .which New Zealand might .be able to work with' Australia in the matter ,of naval defence, and ho hoped; that even yet something might, be done in that respect. ■ You' Will; remember that Mr. ' Massey deplored the folly of New Zealand in not joihing the Australian Federation; and this latest opinion shows that he is still prepared to make this Dominion an appanage of Australia. I think, however, that most New Zoalanders to-day recognise the far-seeing statesmanship which left New Zealand to work out its own destiny in its own way. • "It is very significant," added Mr. Fowlds, "that in the columns of the 'New Zealand Times' this morning Mr. Massey's views should come next to the Gorman view, wherein the 'Berliner Tageblatt' predicts that the debates in; the overseas Parliaments regarding the proposals of the. Defence Conference .will bo'excitcd and lengthy, and that objections will'be raised to. the new programme. The Leader of the Opposition follows this up by saying that he has no doubt that Parliament will consider the matter very carefully' before agreeing to what is now proposed. I sincerely trust_ that this is not an indication that Mr. Massey is be'ginning , to develop German'- sympathies. ' I think some of : Mr; Massey's. lieutenants - ought 'promptly to, say whether they agree with him in the hostile attitude he has assumed towards tho decisions of tlio Imperial Defence Conference.". -.- ;■