NAVAL DEFENCE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1634, 28 December 1912, Page 5

NAVAL DEFENCE.

HON. J, ALLEN'S MISBI O.N,

INTERVIEW IN STDNW.

Tho Hon. J as. Allen, on" being interview-; {?' on his way to England, intimated that- his special mission to Lon-don-.was' in.connection with the floating °% ?, an f®?' the New" Zealand Government; that was authorised this year, and also m connection with, some loans which were becoming, due. lr '^.'j ave been' authorised by the Prime'; Minister .of the 'Dominion''and my colleagues; to. inquire into the whole question/of naval defence, as far as New Zealand, is concerned," said Mr. Allen. "Our present military, system . is'working very, well,''alth'ouglv it is.in its initial stflges. ;0f ' course, we have hot got over all out difficulties, though', they have" nearly all goneU'y The turn-outs at drills Ifist year were very good, and I- anticipate they will be better this "year". There are a few who ;KAve refused to register, and to' turn'; up to drill, but they, have been dealt ' with under the law. ' Tou know," continued Mr. Allen, "we have altered .our defence law this' year, and made detention .the method of ptinish'ment, instead; of imprisonment.. New regulations' are being'drafted now to deal with those whojhttfe religious scruples, and who fail to ■; register. It is. expected that these ; regulations will be in operation very soon. We..train v our territorials up to the. age of ;25"years', and we .expect to-.have next ' very shortly afterwards, . 30,000 men;in training, and something like) 4000 or. 5000 men going to ' reserve" eveTy. year'. ;,' .. AVe •". art • holding brigade caiH¥s".' this/ fear';. this is the first' a'ttempt at this class of camp". It is part'of the development of our-military training system. We haid the ordinary military, camps last- year/ but our camps are not so large as those you have . here. Last year' we , held regimental and battalion camps, but this year we.are going in for oamps .with larger bodies of men. These.', brigade oamps will .last,. in some : ewes, 13 days, while, in Others the men will be'.under', ca'nva&'.for nine. days. In addition the men. will have to do a certain,';Sumber; of Saturday- dftern'ooh and evening drills' during* the year. The object of the 18-day' camp is to permit of country members' g'etting rid of a . certain number of their, evening drills, which they will' be able to- put in by attending the camps. ; This idea has become: very popular,- especially with the country men, who naturally find it -a very great trouble to get to'the drill centres'. .

/Are-you going";to look into any other matters, whifc)'in England?"-, queried the reporter. • '•

■ ''TSs;" 1 replied-.Mr.-.Allon, "I have to see' whafO'the Home authorities have to say about, our general policy with, regard to naval matters. At present we are paying a quarter of a million a j year for the Dreadnought cruiser New Zealand, which we gave, to the Mother; Country, and for interest and sinking fund. W# are 1 paying i£100,0(i0 towards the wages' of those men who'.are on this vessel,' and the boats formiiigLjjart of'..the China unit. Portion of the China uiiit.is to.como down. to .New Zealand—the submarines', some torpedo boafa; for tho defence -.of Auckland Harbour. "With regard io the new. iiaval base at Auckland,-1 think Calliope' Dock will 'have}to be, enlarged,. but that, of course,' .is a matter for the, Admiralty."

CSn you say anything with regard to, the future naval policy of New Zealand?" Mr.,' Allen was asked. '. ; .■■;

. 'The whole.policy," .wis'the reply, "is tinder consideration; tho military policy is 'defined, except. with .regard to the organisation. of the expeditionary force, and -that fre working at now. It is-part,-of.-my( business t.o find out what the/authorities iii England have to;say about thei iiavfti policy w6 are now considering. We have amended the Military Act,this yedr, and have, got rid of a gooci many anomalies. I feel sure' it is on: a good- basis, and thS-whole-mass of. the people' are; iii favour. of it.- - THei's, are 'a_ few'who. objetit,- have been Qirihgii.their.^grierT'aTices-'lin rthft. English papets,'/but : tliey shave; b'eoii Sqisrepre'sentingW; We' have' dealt with tlibse who have rehgioiis SCruplSS, by saying t« 'If ■ you have real, objections,- we .do not ask, you to .do military. ;work, but you must do something.;. else.'' Th6y don't get Off. They 1 , nave;, to sacrifice a.,- certain , amount of time just the-same'.': They-will not, of course, have the' advantage of beiiig' organised and getting training, like' the others." '■ What do you propose 66 do with them?. i

They willprobably have a spade and ..shovel,- or be told off ,to do soirie. class of wbrlc: -fery likely the beautifying of theTcitj." '. '

"Another, matter I shall inquire' into' ill England is in regard to, special schools, which have; been established for the deaf, dumb,- Miid; ■ and feeble-minded. Atijr other time I have to spare will be "devoted; to making investigations into technical education, as I am not sure that in New Zealand we have pqt. this .branch of education as well organised as it might be." .

Mr. Allen stated in conclusion that.he thought .New Zealand, Canada, and Australia would .join hands, some day for the defence of. the .Pacific, It was too much to ask the Mother - Country to ,do it.. That was onr duty.