THE " ALL-RED " ROUTE. ADMIRAL COLOMB'S VIEW CRITICISED.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 36, 12 February 1908, Page 3

THE " ALL-RED " ROUTE. ADMIRAL COLOMB'S VIEW CRITICISED.

(From Our Own Cc respondent.) LONDON, 3rd January. A "Liberal Colonial," writing on the subject of the "All-Red" Route, contends that Sir John Co'oinb misses the point which adocates of an All-Red Koute have in view. "Nobody," he says, "who has at vU considered the scheme doubts that there are grave difficulties to bo overcome before it can j be realised ; they may prove insurmountable, but their existence hardly forma an objection until this has been proved. "Broadly, the object of tho pioject is to establish a routo which will, in the first place, encourage the intercommunication of inhabitants of the Mother Country and three of her most, important Dominions ; and, .secondly, be so entirely under the control of British citizens that it will be liable to no inteiference, whatever our international relations may be. For it must be remembered that there are other methods of interfering with trade ,cptite3 besides military ,or naval aggression. There "seems to be little doubt that at present trafie fknvs moie readily to the United States than to Canada, partly because the service to the 'former is far mcfto rapid and convenient. The advocates of the new ioute hold that £ho service to Canada can be made as. good b^ me cxpcndilur9 of some money which, in ths long run, will prove to bo productive- by forwarding the prosperity not only of Canada, but also of New Zealand and the eastern seaboard of Australia." This argument, is, he maintains, the true answer to Sir John Colomb's fear thr.t expenditure on such a scheme will bo so much money loot to the licet. "Anything that increases the prosperity/ of our colonies and of' ourselves — for tho benefit will not necessarily be all oh one side— and 'ut the samo time draws them closer to us, will only sncrcase pur weight in the world and givo us larger resources to draw upon foi a critical struggle." Tho writer contends that the demand for !\ quicker dhccfc route to Canada can hardly be denied, in view of the Canadian Government'? consistent at titude on tha. subject for tho last feu years. "New Zealand's demands are," he says, "less clearly hoard here, partly no doubt because we tako less intere&t in a. Dominion more than p ivo weeks' journey from us; but, at any rate, the Premier and tlu Agent-General, who may b,e presumed to --eprescnt the population, have opolwn in no uncertain voice. T^lio difficulty in determining the best terminal ports is no doubt ' fjreat, but is hardly more than a matter for the most anxious consideration. As to the unfairness to existing lines to Canada in starting an All-Red scheme, presumably thero would be nothing to prevent any of them from making tenders for the new service if it were decided upon." "At present," he concludes, "from the facts before us, nobody can say that tho scheme is feasible. The- question of sufficiently safe navigation in Canadian waters has not yet becn_ settled, nor has the cost b,een authoritatively . estimated. This may prove prohibitive even in bpite of all advantages. These doubts will probably be resolved by the committee which is now considering the question at the Board of Trade. But that if feasible the scheme would help the development of the Empire has not been denied."