THE NAVY

Evening Star, Issue 14037, 19 April 1909, Page 6

THE NAVY

■ —♦————■ MR ASQUITH AT GLASGOW 7 . WHERE CRITICS DD7FER. EULOGY OF THE COLONIES. A CONFERENCE SUGGESTED. Press Association—By Telegraph— Copyright. .: , - LONDON, April 18. s : April 19, at 8.45 a.m.) Mr Asquith, speaking at Glasgow, characterised the Cawdor memorandum (drawn up by Earl Cawdor when First Lord of the Admiralty) as an electioneering pamphlet. Had the Liberals proceeded on its lines the country would be in possession of an unnecessary number of backward specimens of ships in what should be a constantly progressive family. Vessels of the Neptune class were 30 per cent, better than the original Dreadnought. At this moment we may be on the eve of a new development in naval construction, which may vitally affect our naval policy, hence it urdesirahle to order contingent Dreadnoughts immediately. The sole issue between our critics and ourselves is whether we should bind curselves to order extra vessels at once or leave the question to be determined later in the year. The magnificence of the colonial offers was enhanced by the fine and generous spirit in which they were made. Nothing could be more gracious and tactful, or indicate more their generous and patriotic conception of the common obligations of Empire. Speaking without consultation with his colleagues, he suggested the possibility of a conference between the colonies and the Mother Country regarding their future respective shares in.the great- interdependent work of naval defence. AUSTRALIAN OFFERS THE QUESTION "bT ORGANISATION. LONDON, April 17. Mr Arthur Henderson, M.P., chairman of the Labor party, referring to the Labor party's communication from Australia, says that the offer of the Dreadnoughts is overrated. He approves of the suggestion of colonial contributions on business lines, which are not determined by waves of impulse. He fears that' the British Admiralty's organisation is defective, as compared with that of Germany, for modern conditions. IMPERIAL DEFENCE. CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT. LONDON, April 17. ' The Times,' in commenting on Canada's proposal to discuss its defences- with the Admiralty, and the Australian Ministry's request for the Admiralty's views, repeats Lord Milner's dictum that co-operation is net a question of the shifting of burdens, but of developing fresh centres of strength. Though the Mediterranean is the natural station for a donated Dreadnought, the paper-advises the Admiraltv to so apply the money from Australia and New Zealand that the ships may at least visit the colonies. It would be still better to permit the contributed ships to co-operate with the Commonwealth's fleet of destroyers As it is possible that- Dreadnoughts "mav not be considered the best type of ships for that station, the money might be devoted to two or three cruisers of the best sort for the. same purposes. 'The Times' approves of Mr Fisher's Gympie speech, in which he advocates policing the Western Pacific. Reuter has published a synopsis of the Commonwealth's recent naval despatch, in which the naval resources of Australia were placed at the disposal of the Admiralty. WILL NOT PUBLISH. .MELBOURNE, April 19. (Received April 19, at 10.45 a.m.) Senator Pearce (Minister of Defence) declines to publish the Commonwealth memorandum to the Admiralty.