NAVAL POLICY

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 April 1914, Page 5

NAVAL POLICY

QUESTION OF A CONFERENCE. Received this dav at noon. LONDON, April 21. A Blue Book publishes a correspond.once between the Hon, L. V. Harcourt and the Australasian Governments u> April Ist. The Commonwealth in August inquired regarding the nonprovision of the China and East Indie? units in pursuance of the 1909 arrangement and asked whether circumstances had arisen to necessitate an alteration. It offered, if necessary, to attend a con ference. Mr. Harcourt forwarded the Admiralty's reply concerning the carrying out of the 19C9 arrangements and intimated that if the Com .nonwealth desired to confer with the Imperial Government it would welcome representatives in 1914. He' also invited _ New Zealand to consider its participation. The Commonwealth replied in March that owing to the early meeting of Parliament, it would be impossible to send a Minister to London in 1914. but suggested a full conference including representatives from all self-govern-ing dominions. Mr. Harcourt replied that in the circumstances the questim of a Defence Conference must be postponed. SYDNEY. This Day. Hon. J. Cook, referring to the Standard's statement regarding *-be defen'.e of the Pacific, says that the/ 5 are no divergencies other than those already made public. No fresh view had been expressed by New Zealand or Austra%. There is really nothing fresh in the v hole situation beyond Mr Churchill's speech the other day. NAVAL DEFENCE. SYDNEY, This Day.—The "Herald," in a leader on defence, says that it is satisfactory to Australians to find that New Zealand now stands side by side in regard to the whole problem. The recent .statements by .Messrs Massey and Allen make it abundantly clear that the profound wisdom to which .Mr Churchill referred in his speech lias been replaced by profound distrust of the efficacy of a policy previously favoured' by Australia and New Zealand, which has now been abandoned equally definitely by both countries.