EMPIRE NAVY

Evening Star, Issue 17792, 14 October 1921, Page 3

EMPIRE NAVY

A JOIJfT RESPONSIBILITY

REPARATION MONEY FOR THE FLEET, [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON. October 13. The Prime Minister pictured to members of the House to-night the position during tho early stages of tho Imperial Conference, when Britain, having censed t-o build warships while other Powers had ambitious programmes under way,_ was threatened with Hie risk of becoming _a third-rate Naval Power in the world. Ibis prospect, he said, was discussed hy the I)'/minioffs’ representatives at the Conference, and they decided to hade up what had been suggested in the House o! Commons —viz., that four battleships of the most modern type, should be laid down ami work commenced on them. Such a ship. Air Alasscy reminded the House, was of a very diflcicnt type from the battleship of pre-war times, when quite a good type could he built for £2,0(10,080. ’lnday these ships, with the increased cost of labor and materials, cost certainly not less than £7,000.000—-perhaps £7,500,000. The position into which the Navy was drifting would undoubtedly become a danger to tho Empire, and there was no fliffcrencc of opinion in the Conference that the supremacy of tho British Navy must he maintained. Mr Wilford: What about the hind forces? Mr Massey replied that experience showed them they could malic an army in six months, but they could not create a navy in that time; they must he ready. The Conference passed a, resolution, and there was an understanding that those, ships would bo Empire stiips. The Prime Minister of Britain told them that the United Kingdom could not go on maintaining n great Navy ns it was maintained prior to the war without- the help of the Overseas Dominions; “and, ’ said 1 Mr Alasscv, “wo agreed. What '"'-c did not agree to —because it was not at Hie lime, and ve felt it could safely lie left to a future Conference to decide was tho different shares tn be borne bv tho various parts of the Empire. Tn each case this has been submitted to the various Parliaments. Thus the rights ol citizens of all parts of the Empire are safeguarded.” The Hon. -I. A. Tlanan ; Did the question of a local navy arise? Air Massey - It was referred, to, but not discussed, FOR. REPARATIONS AIONKY. “There was a suggestion.” continued Mr Massey, “ and I snnporterl it for all it was worth, in reward to using reparation money. Our share of tho amount due tn the Empire from G-nuariv is £26.000,000. I don’t know whether I made tho. suggestion first nr not, hut it was made, in Conference, that the cost of these ships should become a fii-st charge on the Gorman reparation fund. I don't mean to say it was agreed tn ; hut it ought to be borne in mind, and especially hy ourselves, that the Empire will receive something like £2.000,000,000 if Germany pays nn, and there is no eavlhlv reason why the cost of these ships should not be charged against that sum. It is a fair charge, and I don't think it would lie felt when spread over the Empire—it is a mere trifle. I do not know exactly our proportion. because it has not been worked out; but when vou consider that tho share of the United Kingdom, so far as receipts arc concerned, is 85 per cent, our share is 1.75 per cent., so you can imagine our proportion will bo very small compared with the United Kingdom’s.” NEW ZEALAND’S LOYALTY." When this matter was being discussed Air Alasscy said that the British Prime Alinistcr had declared ; “ Gentlemen, it is a heavy burden fur ns to carry. I want you to understand that wc are not going back on the decision which has been arrived at. The ships will be laid down, and wo shall go on building them: and 1 feel certain that when the time comes the differnt Dominions of the Empire will do whatever is necessary under the circumstances.” }lv Alasscy went ou’fn say flint he felt glad to be able to speak for tho people of New Zealand when he declared they would do their duty. He never felt prouder of New Zealand than when tho cable came, slating that the Returned Soldiers’ Association had decided tn utilise canteen profits towards tho maintenance of tho British Navy. He did not care if that decision was afterwards changed; but when it was announced ho was congratulated hy one of tho Conference members, who remarked : “I want you to understand how much wc appreciate the loyalty of the people of New Zealand. It is one of the best assets the Empire, possesses, because it never hesitates, and is always to the front when called upon tn do its duty.” LOCAL NAVY IDEA ABANDONED. Reverting to the question of a. local navy, Air Massey suggested that the position had completely altered, owing to the, change.in the type of ships required. He had once thought we wore doing our duly in maintaining a light cruiser and a little training ship ; then, as the population increased, when Now Zealand had 2G0.0C0 or 300,000 more people another light cruiser might he added. These cruisers wore valuable in maintaining the Empire’s communication in time of war. Germany had made every endeavor to cut the lines of communication hy attacking the Empire's commerce on the sea, and these cruisers were immensely valuable in combating this attack. “I take full responsibility for what has been said and done,” continued the Prime Alinistcr, “and I say that Parliament has the final word. But, again, I say that- New Zealand and every other Dominion will not bo doing its duty unless it shoulders tho responsibility of maintaining tho supremacy of the Imperial Navy.”

Mr Sullivan : How long will the world go on building £7.000,000 ships? Mr Massey: So long ns it is necessary. IVe have decided nothing in regard to the proportion of the cost of maintaining an Empire Na vy. This will lie left til! the pert Conference; but increase in the sizo of warships has clone away with the local navv idea.