COMMONWEALTH NAVAL BILL. ADMIRAL FANSHAWE'S SCHEME.

Evening Post, Volume LXVI, Issue 55, 2 September 1903, Page 5

COMMONWEALTH NAVAL BILL. ADMIRAL FANSHAWE'S SCHEME.

fPBESS ASSOCIATION. I SYDNEY, Ist September. Admiral Fanshawe's scheme for carrying out the provisions of the Naval Agreement Bill which has just been passed in the Commonwealth Parliament is now in the hands of the Imperial authorities. It will be necessary for New Zealand to pass a similar Bill before the details are published. Admiral Fanehawe will, inform the Admiralty when New Zealand has taken the necessary action, and if his scheme then receives approval he will immediately set to work to put it into operation. [The new naval agreement provides for a force of one first-class armoured cruiser, two second-class cruisers, four third-class cruisers, four sloops, and a Royal Naval Reserve of twenty-five officers and 700 seamen and stokers. One of the ships is to be kept in reserve, and three will be only partly manned and used as drill-ships. All the vessels, with the exception of the drill-ships, are to be of modern type. The drill-ships and one other vessel will be manned by Australians and New Zealanders as far as possible, who will be paid at a special rate. The sphere of operations is to be the waters of Australia, China, and East Indies stations. In time of peace one drill-ship and one cruiser will be stationed in New Zealand waters. Tho subp sidy paid by Australia is not to exceed •£200,000, and that paid by New Zealand ia not to exceed £40,000.]