NAVAL DEFENCE. x

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 101, 30 April 1909, Page 3

NAVAL DEFENCE. x

DANGERS OF DUAL CONTROL* Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Poore, Bart., responded to ( the toast of the 'Navy and Army" at the dinner of the Society of St. George in Sydney last Friday night. "The question here in Australia," h» said, "is one of an Australian navy versus Dreadnoughts. My own opinion is that I should like to have them both. Since I have been in Australia — not very long, but long enough to have got some ideas — I have come to the conclusion that for many reasons a flotilla of torpedo boat destroyers would be of tremendous advantage to Australia, not only for its actual fighting value, but for the moral effect it would have if, iv the case of war, we were obliged to withdraw our Australian squadron from these waters. But there is this, that in the case of naval power you can hay& only one head. There cannot be any question of dual control. I put the matter before you simply in this way, that a destroyer flotilla here, officered and manned and trained in Australia, to which I have not had access during peace times — well, I cannot conceive anything more • dangerous, for this reason, that if I were at sea, or approaching the land, I should not know whether I could trust those destroyers against, in the best spirit in the wide world, destroying me. That is not part of my, business. (Laughter.) I think that th« establishment of a flotilla on the lines £ have indicated, controlled by the Im» perial naval authorities, would be a. good thing, but the training must come from the best naval school in* the wide world, and that is the Naval School of Great Britain, and in the extension of the idea that is the only way of bringing it to a satisfactory conclusion. To turn to the question of Dreadnoughts, or their equivalents, I would only ask you to look at a map I have. You will find on that map that Australia is really at the end of a string — in this way, that it is not a halting point. You come ta Australia and you go from it. Taka the map and look to the north, to the east, and to the west, and you will find that there are thousands and thousands of miles which form the ocean highways to Australia. Those highways have te> be protected. They can only be protected by ti central power which has . traditions and the training of year* and years. You may call the opinion old-fashioned, conservative, what you will, but it is fact. There is only one fleet in the world that is at sea' con-, stantly from the first of January to tha first of January, and -that is the fleet of Great Britain. You have these lines oE sea routes, and when you speak of tha defence of Australia, remember that it lies in the preservation of (hose high* roads and the stations, which, under t\\m Union Jack, exist on those highroads. You must have the whole control and protection of those stations in the hands of the central power, which has that great force, the British Navy. It is a subject that one might talk about for ages. I would only ask you to remember that it is a matter of the defence of the Empire, and when your very; existence is threatened your best de»> fence lies in the power of being in« stantly able to assume the offensive."-

Paradise ducks have been protected for one year, save in the case of th« Otago and Southland acclimatisation districts, where the ducks may bptakep ov killed for a period of 14 days only from Ist May. .-'The number of birds which may be taken by any one person in that period is limited to six. In s Canadian horso race recently thinj place was won by a jockey 103 years old. He has ridaen in moro than 6000 races.