IMPERIAL DEFENCE

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 104, 3 May 1926, Page 15

IMPERIAL DEFENCE

NAVAJL EXPENDITURE OF DOMINIONS

NEW ZEALAND'S CONTRIBUTION HALF A MILLION "LAST YEAR.

Mr. Hore-Bulisha, having asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he would state, in, respect of the cur: rent year, how much money has been contributed by each of the Dominions and Crown colonies towards naval defence; what proportion, this sum bears'in each case to their total' import and export-trade and per capita of* their population, respectively; and how these figures compare with Great Britain's Contributions under these heads, Mr. Leopold Amery writes in reply:— ' ■ . • : The contribution of the Dominions to naval defence take.* the form of maintenance of their own Aiaval forces and establishments by the Governments of Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia, New Zealand, and the Union Al South Africa. The amounts provided in the Estimates of the under-mentioned parfa of the Empire for the year 1925-26 are as follows:— UNITED KINGDOM, £60,500,000. Expenditure per head £1 6s lOd Population (Great: Brita.tH and Northern Ireland) 45,064,000 Total Import and export trade, 1925 £2,250,355,544 Amount spent on naval dot'ence for every £1000 of total Import and export trade .. £2« 17s 7d CANADA, $l,4»0,000. ! Expenditure per head $0.15. Population i.I.' .9,364,200 Total import and. export trafle, 1925 ..,..:, „ $1,865,999,890 Amount spent on naval''defente for every $1000 .of total import and export trade ...... $0.75 COMMONWEALTH- OF AUSTRALIA, I £3,821,145. Expenditure per head : 13s 2d Population .... 1.t'.'i .'.,... ' 5,029,288 Total Import andstxport trade, 1925 ............;..., ..-1... £316,182,433 Amount spent on naval defence for every £1000 of. total Import and export trade £12 8s 2d There is also a special appropriation of £1,000,000 for defence purposes .generally. NEW ZEALAND, £538,3»5. Expenditure per head, 8s Od Population .....>.. 1,335,719 Total import and export trade, 1925 »107,718,679 Amount spent on naval defence for every £1000 of total import and export trade E-4 19s lid UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA, £8»9,593. Expenditure per head .. 'is 9d Population ...;....i..:.. ,1,810,774 Total import and export trade, 1925 £1^735,815 Amount spent on naval defence for every £1000 of I total import and export trade 18s lid NOTE.—The figures given above for import and export trade are preliminary totafe only and are subject to revision. ' As regards the Irish Free State I %'ould refer the hon. member to Article 6 of. the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty between Greafc Britain and Ireland (C'md.

1560). Northern Ireland," being part of the United Kingdom, contributes to British naval expenditure in.'the same way as other parts'." ' As regards the colonies and protectorates the contributions to Imperial defence made by the Governments of Hong Kong, Straits Settlements,' Ceylon, and Mauritius are paid, not to the Admiralty, but to the War Office. Hong Kong has also provided in its Estimates for the year 1925-20 as a contribution towards the.cost of the Singapore Base £120,000. This contribution represents an expenditure per head-of 3s; population, 799,500; total import and export trade, 1924, £145,727,077. This contribution represents "0,16$ P«" cent, of value of total import and export trade/ The Straits Settlements have contributed the site for .the Singapore Base,