DOMINIONS AND WAR.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1193, 31 July 1911, Page 7

DOMINIONS AND WAR.

MR. FISHER AT COLOMBO.

VIGOROUS DENIAL OF MR. STEAD'S STATEMENTS, "GROSSLY MISLEADING." By TelecraDti—Proas Associalion-OonyrieM Colombo, July 29. Mr Andrew Fisjier, l'rimo Minister of Australia, arrived here-this morning on his way homo to tho Commonwealth from L °Mr. Fisher was considerably agitated on learning of tho sensation causal by the interview with him published in tho "Review of IteJiews,"- and it as a grotesque misrepresentation. Ho at onco cabled to Mr. Stead, editor of tho magazine, stating that tho report was grossly misleading. • Mr. Fisher declares that what ho said to Mr. Stead was a few brief words in a hurried interview. He merely _ stated what ho had stated hundreds of times in his public speeches, namely, that the objective of Labour was peace among the nations in their world policy, and one of effective defence with the aim of unity among the British nations. This could best be attained and maintained by trusting His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and _ the Dominions, as the responsible Minister of a family of nations. Referring to tho expression in the published interview of "Haul down tho flag," Mr. Fisher said"This has never entered my mind. To keep it flying is my ambition, with all its best traditions. Nor have I harboured any idea that Australia would break away from the Empire. Nor do I wish to escape tho duty of defending its honour. Such expressions would not be disloyalty, but insanity. "They would be brutal and monstrous."

THE NEUTRALITY THEORY,

Mli. ASQUITH QUESTIONED,

London, July 28. Mr. H. Pike Pease, Conservative member for Darlington, .questioned Mr. Asquith in the House of Commons as to whether he had noted Sir Uilfnd Laurier's declaration that Canada did not think herself bound to tako part in every war, and that her fleet might not be called upon in all eases. He asked whether its. converse also applied, and whether Mr. Asquith would obtain from the Canadian Government some definition of wars in the cases referred .to, and whether wars originating under Article 2 of the Japanese Alliance were included. The Prime Minister replied: "Tho matters in question were too grave and delicate to be dealt with by question and answer, nor can 1,, without breach of confidence, disclose tho discussions and decisions at the secret sessions of the Imperial Conference."

POSITION UNDER JAPANESE TREATY, London, July 28. In the House of Commons, Viscount Wolmer, Conservative member for Newton, asked Mr. Mackinpon Wood, UnderSecretary for Foreign Affairs, whether Article 5 of the Anglo-Japanese Treaty permitted the Japanese^-Government . t,o. inquiro concerning tho availability of the Australian fleet in the event of war; whether such inquiry had been made; whether the Government intended to reply that the action to be taken by a Dominion in the event of war was not a subject for discussion, or whether tho reply would be in accordance with the full and free consultation stipulated in the Article.

Mr. Mackinnon Wood answered:—"l cannot reply to a hypothetical question. The terms of the treaty are public."

| THE DOMINION NAVIES. THEIR STATUS DEFINED. (Reo.'July 30, 5.5 p.m.) London, July 29. Mr. Lewis Harcourt, Secretary of State for the Colonies, has published the terms of the naval agreement between Great Britain, Canada,. Australia, and New Zealand. The agreement provides that the naval services of each Dominion shall be exclusively under the inspection of its own Government. The training and discipline shall be in uniformity with tho British Navy. The Dominion ihips shall fly the white ensign as the emblem of authority of the Crown, with the Dominion's flag at the jack-staff, and in foreign waters the ships ore to report to, and • take their orders from, the Admiralty. . When British hnd Dominion ships meet, tho senior officer will command in matters of ceremony and international intercourse. Tho Admiralty agrees to lend the Dominions officers and men as required during tho dovelopment period, and also to give preference to those coming from the Dominions. In war, any Dominion ships put at tho Imperial Government's disposal shall form an integral part of the British fleet, remaining under the Admiralty throughout tho war.

PACIFIC NAVAL STATIONS. Ottawa, July 28. A memorandum of the Conference between Canada and Australia and tho British Admiralty on tho status of the Dominion forces was tabled in tho Canadian Parliament this morning. The Dominion navies are to be exclusively under the control of the respective Governments, but the training is to ho uniform with that of the Imperial Navy. Canada's naval stations are to be the North Pacific and the North Atlantic, and Australia's the South Pacific to the Antarctic.