DREADNOUGHT OFFERS AND NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 646, 25 October 1909, Page 3

DREADNOUGHT OFFERS AND NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE

* ■.• S ; r fe l : w i ."drawj-our' attention, to" the fact; that during the - Dreadnought', s'caro • arid' gefenco Conference. tho quostion of a wlritj? Now- Zealand lias been kept very niuch' 'in the "background., In.ray;opinion, Sir- Joseph Ward' should have put the,white Ney Zealand (mes- . tion ■ strongly before , tho Defence Conference; ; ECSI .n&, that iie.iS so.TOUch 'against a.local.'riAvv' orjoinihg in. with-Australia,, and for this, j-ea- ■ ,?? m ago" 'a British statosarin-'said .' th . a t : ,V«™ Bn s; ' was in' 'a po'Sition, <ifV she so \wished ioJituld:a..naTy. to equal'that/of .Qrehi' Britain. : -»£Mm?wy> v fa> ; tMs a German' statesman Wade, T a.,statement-that'Germany" would build. >®/ na yr. '&■. s'wns .'thai no; nation would attack; faermaiiy .with.a, certainty; of sucfccss; The'alli-inco-with Japan will be-at an'end" in a icy). ' ™° re .> fJ#d.mwr- nbt be-renewed.'.'Japan willh&vo recovered'from the eSccts'of •the- ' .sian"War; , ,;and; tnaywarit.'anoutletfor.h'or-sub- ' ,jects inthis. part of thoworld. Should the case,, would England send a fleet sufficiently strong ■ to ..uphold -tho'-Twhite-jNew:.Zealand. policy.. against 'Japan,, and. leave herself, open to an.invasion by.Gormany? X don't think we here in Now Zealand, could expect it. How are we-going ; to keep New, Zealand,white if Japantakes'advantage of England's .'position. in\ regard to Germany? To my mind, Australia'is; adopting, tho only means possible for such an ! • emergency—namely, the'building of V'local navy and universal military lustra•ha.is a wealthy, country,, and-once: sfe. getsproperly started, will bo: in a nosition' to build ,a strong nan*, So-strong .that no Asiatic: nation •wll attack. her with > certainty • of.success;' why ;does not. New Zealand, join in witß her' Because; tho, wrong ntan is at the. helm.'. Giv- ! ing -Dreadnoughts to . England .means trip's to Lngland,. with the limelight , turned., on and knightly,'honours in the background,'so idear ' to the hearts of,most colonial'statesmen;' Now Zealand, and-Australia cannot give those things :I wish-also.to'-draw; your attention, Editor; to Sir-Joseph Ward's offer of one or'tWo, or more, Dreadnoughts, and the moral effect upon' i Germany of such an offer. Now, we find that when tho local navy .is proposed our, statesmen ' .hold their hands up in holy horror; and ask; ;VY hero are we; to get tho;nioney?, Whi*t sort of a moral'effect will that havo on: Germany? Suppose: Now. Zealand threw-her two- millions jn-with Australia, and each of tho five Australian' States threw in two millions each,there would -be twelve million pounds to start a-navy, and', as wealth and 'populatioh increased . Wb would, bo in a position to defend ourselves;—l am, etc., . • ; ■ JOSEPH nYLAND: