EMPIRE DEFENCE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 108, 8 May 1909, Page 5

EMPIRE DEFENCE.

OBJECT TO BE AIMED AT. A COMMON ORGANISATION. COMBINED WITH ELASTICITY. Bj Telegram.—P ress Association.— Copyright LQ'NDON, 7th May. The Earl of Grewe, Secretary of State for the Colonies, speaking at the Liberal Colonial CLub", and referring to the Imperial Conference on Defence, to be held in July, said he was not prepared to believe that the time was absolutely ripe for a fwll and complete discussion of the whole question of Imperial defence. It could hardly be expected that South Africa could speak with certainty on the subject until the union of the different colonies was an accomplished fact. On the other hand, there had been so many incidents of importance— the fine, soul-stirring offers of New Zealand and Australia, and the not less hearty movements in Canada towards the im provement of Imperial defence — that entirely justified an endeavour to arrive at some, at any rate, provisional conclusions after talking the matter over in a friendly way. His view was that the sooner they could approach towards a common organisation of defence the better it would be for the Empire. Such things as the Imperial General Staff and a certain assimilation — he would not say identity — of organisation for purposes of defence between the systems of the Motherland and the over-seas dominions were all steps in the right direction, but local elasticity was not less necessary. "We could not do anything more unwise," said Lord Crewe, "than attempt to impose upon the great selfgoverning colonies a scheme which was unpalatable to them in the sense that each dominion must work out its own defence in its own way. I am glad to know that the Government's action has had the approval of both sides in politics, because this is certainly a matter in which we should desire the country to act as one party." The statement was received with cheers.