THE BUTTRESS OF EMPIRE

Evening Star, Issue 14554, 1 May 1911, Page 3

THE BUTTRESS OF EMPIRE

BRITAIN'S NAVY. MR ALLEN PROCLAIMS OUR IMPERIAL FUNCTION. CONTROL OF THE PACIFIC. Every nation's duty, first, midst, and last, is to itself. _ No nation can be sate from continual losses of ground but by continual jealousies, watchings, and ambitious strivings to mend its own position. ... As t.hinga stand at present, war and peace are bound together like the vicissitudes of day and night . . .

and a new war as certainly becomes due during the evolutions of a tedious peace as a new peace may be looked for during the throes of a blocdy war.

These words of De Quincey's, announcing as they do the truth that war is inalienable from man's position, shatter at one blow the distorting prism of sentiment through which some people view naval expenditure. Whether a positive good (as Xte Quincey acclaims it) or a degradation of our human function, War is at any Tate a Teal, recurring phenomenon, for ■which nations have to prepaje. Our Navy League stands for a sign of the nation's realisation of its uncertain relation towards other nations, and the need for ardent preparation: and nowhere in the British Empire could the necessity for uiiTelaxed effort have been more enthusiastically pressed than it was at the annual meeting of the Ota go Branch of the Navy League on Friday afternoon, when Mr James Allen. M.P., delivered a splendid hortatory address on what this Dominion should do ti> secure its own safety and to make itself an aggressive unit in the Empire's battle array.

Mr Allen led to his subject by a few comments-on the annual report, the adoption of which he had to move. He expressed the opinion that it was the best record of the branch's work that had ever been placed in his hands, and he l congratulated the secretary upon it. " But there is more than that in the report," he continued. "It has taken a new line, and I Tecommer.d that line to everybody. It does not stand for a mere fhouting of 'Flag' or reiteration of 'Britons never shall be slaves.' It his brought us into close touch with the difficulties that must be faced to prevent us from being slaves." After some slight criticism of the optimism of parts of the report, Mr Allen proceeded to show how, with all the talk of peace, with all the civilities ami courtesies of nations, they stood ready to shed these graceful draperies as a boxer drops his wrap and steps into the ring. "If you have been reading in the newspapers," began he. " you will have been struck by the overtures made by the President of the United States of America to our Motherland, ard will have perused those brilliant speeches made by Sir Edward Grey and Mr Balfour about the possibility of peace throughout the woild. And almost on the same page upon which you read this you will find Great Britain's Naval Estimates of £44.000,000. more than j £4,000,000 greater than the Estimates of | the previous yeaa - . There is the paradox! On the one side the cry for peace, and on the other the hurried preparation for war! I am sure we all want peace, but there is no use in sitting down if our enemies, or other nations which may become our enemies, are preparing for war. While they are spending millions on it we cannot stop. So, again, is there the necessity for a League like this, to keep the fact before the world that we want pence, but that it cannot be had unless we are strong enough to enforce it. . "And the difficulties before us! How serious the problem is! It was a comparatively easy problem once, when the British Navy was practically supreme in every water. It is not so to-day. You must have read with interest during the past few weeks how the British mind is bending itself to the interests of the Pacific Ocean. The Navy League have "another thing to do besides calling for help to guard the Home seas. There are other seas to be guarded if we (the colonies) are to be able to use tho forces we are preparing for the service of the Empire. The oceaai paths in those seas must also bo kept clear. The difficulty is a serious one. IWe are apt to limit our perspective and * igiagij»er tLafOVCiVihing can be done by the jJfavy. There is such a thing as the 'Blue Water School,' which is apt to think that nothing is needed beyond His Majesty's vessels. . . . But if you read about the Conference you will kuow that those who are in authority have laid down three governing considerations—(l) That the Oversea Dominions have to provide local protection for themselves; (2) if they want to take their share in the support of the Empire they have to so prepare an army that a portion of it at any rate may be moved away in mutual support cf the Empire to any part of the world ; and the third principle is Command of tho Sea. Now, we are doing a great deal in Australia and New Zealand by way of universal training, and it is a responsibility on Navy Leaguers to help those in this land who are trying to impress on our people this system, which some do not look at with a friendly spirit. We have to show that it is a right principle, in order that we may protect our own shores and also be ready, if tho time comes, to transport a troop across the ueas in support of the Empire. To be able to do this implies uniformity in regard to organisation ,-uid equipment, and that k what is taking place now. The officers and men are being trained so that they wil be organised in the same way as the Imperial forces, and able to co-operate with them. It is ohvious that this cannot be done without •uperiority at sea. We cannot move our troops unless the pathways of the ocean are free to them." Mr Allen argued, therefore, that one fleet, in British waters, was nOT. sufficient, and that the experts at Home knew that ■n Eastern fleet was required in the Pacific. "Australia has accepted that judgment," he cried, "and has provided a unit of that fleet. When her delegates came from the Mother Country they were prepared to provide only one part of that unit. But even a Labor Government—to their credit be it said—have determined not to accept, a quarter of a million from the Old Country, but to find the whole cost of their unit of the Eastern Pacific fleet. Australia is to find £4,000,000, and £750.000 every year to maintain the unit. I *av 'Well done. Australia!'"—(Applause.) He paused, ar.d then went on : "I cannot s:w that New Zetland lias done as well. Aus tralia held out the hand to us, and asked us to join, but Ntw Zealand refused. My opinion—it may not be orthodox to Navy Leaguers—is that when we refused that hand we were striking the hardest blow at unity of control in the Pacific that could have been stiuck in the initiatory rtages. Well, we preferred another way, and I do not say it was a bad way. . . . Ws contributed a unit to the Home fleet; we gave a Dreadnought. . . . I do not say anything against that. But what was the result? New Zealand to-day has had to go cap in hand and say: 'We want something on the coast of New Zealand to let our people know that something is being done for the defence of New Zealand ill the scheme.' And £0 we have- asked them to send us ships the support of which is paid for by the Motherland, except for the difference between the wages of the men here and in Home waters. I cannot stand before any community in New Zealand and feel satisfied that we have done right in not supplying this ourselves. ... I think we ought to set about building some of tho smaller vessels needed for coastal defence —torpedo destroyers, etc. . . . Nothing would make" us realise our national life so fully as to provide some unit for our own defence." Mr Allen concluded a splendid address, which was heartily applauded, by expressing the hope that there might yet be a •ouncil set up, consisting of representalife» from the Motherland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and possibly India, which. would haw control of the' Eastern Pacific fleet

The Rer. Graham H. Balfour found no difficulty in moving, with clear conscience —"That th» meeting commend tb»' work and oWocte of the- League.to. the. practical the community." For ho held

"Uutf the League, its'aims and its wort, mad* for peace, for the interests of the human race, not for selfish aggrandisement. And he believed, further, that the British fleet stood always for strength to the weak, sympathy for the suffering, and justice to ail. ~ . These- sentiments \.ere as heartily subscribed to by the crowded audience in the Town Hall as the previous utterances of Mr Allen.