SOUTH AFRICA AND THE NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1400, 28 March 1912, Page 5

SOUTH AFRICA AND THE NAVY.

NO FURTHER AID AT PRESENT By Tulciraph—Preii Aißootatlon— OopyrlEfcl (I!ec. Maroh 27, 10.45 p.m.) Cape Town, Maroh 27. Major Silburn's motion in favour of a contribution by South Africa to the British Navy, calculated on tho valuo ot the seaborne trade of South Africa, was rejected by tho Union Assembly by 56 votes to 35. Sir Thomas Smart t suggested a contribution of half a million sterling annually. General Smuts, Minister for Defence, stated that the Defence Hill would cost .£1,172,000 per annum, which was .£320,000 more than was pieviously estimated. Tho time was not ripe for arriving at a definite conclusion as to the LTnion's contribution to the Navy. AFRICAN CONTRIBUTIONS. A sum of JM6.000 annually is contributed by the Capo Colony towards tlia maintenance of (lid* British Navv. Tliero is also a Division of tho Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, numbering about 1000 men. The naval subsidy of Natal is .£85,000. The colony also maintains a Naval Volunteer Force. In a speech in September, 1910, the following statement upon tho subject of defence was made by General Botha:— "Our policy will 1,0 to see that no ablebodied man will grow up in tho country who will not be able, should tho necessity unfortunately arise, to take his fair share in tho defeiico of the country, and to do so efficiently. Tho timo lias not arrived yet when wo can, like # Canada and Austuilia, begin in establishing a navy lor our coast defence, for which we shall have to depend for somo timo still entirely on tho Imperial Navy. Annually a certain contribution has been made I'iy South Africa towards the Imperial Navv, and my Government will contimio this contribution. 1' am aware that this contribution is but liko ti drop in a bucket of water by comparison to the enormous expense involved in (he maintenance of tlio British Navy. It is tho principle more than the actual amount which is of importance, and for that reason our ccntribution, however modest, should remain. When wo hnvo reached that stage, I shall be the first to endeavour to follow the footsteps of. the older Dominions to assist the Mother Country in maintaining her naval supremacy.'