IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume III, Issue 145, 4 June 1913, Page 3

IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

MR. JAMES ALLEN S VIEWS. ON CANADIAN NAVAL POLICY. Auckland. June 3. Speaking to .'in interviewer on the subject of the Canadian Navy. Mr. Allen agreed that a difficult situation faced the Government. "If Mr. Borden can accomplish his object in getting a redistribution of"scats, that will cert.--.inly give him a majority in the Western States - ’ he said. "That is a good policy lor hnn, and one that I can well understand. Sir Wilfrid Laurier ami party are naturally smarting tinder what they consider to be the disaffection of their < v. a followers, and ever since their p<,luy has been to bring about a dissolution and go back to the country. They are, in short, willing to saeri'lc ? almost everything to gain their purposes. even to the point of Empire disintegration.” NEW ZEALAND’S DANGER. Speaking of Mr. Churchill's touring fleet proposals, the Minister remarked that he really did not see what material service such a policy would afford to this part of the worid. ‘‘Of course, from Canada’s point of view.” lie added, "it would be a capital idea for them to support a squadron either for the Mediterranean or the North Sea. Such a squadron would be right enough for Atlantic purposes, and as a defence for the eastern shores of Canada, but as far as the Pacific is concerned. I do not think that it would bo of any material value. Such a fleet would undoubtedly be of value, but not the kind of value we want. NewZealand’s danger is not from Europe.”

> ON BRITISH TERRITORIALS. Questioned on the working of the Territorial system •at Home, Mr. Allen said that practically everyone upheld the New Zealand Territorial system, "even those.” lie remarked, "-.->i:o are not upholding the Terri- ! torial system in England. The j reason is that they all feel that New i Zealand is doing the right thing, i There is a great deal of misepresen‘tation of New Zealand's system ; being circulated at Home, but j people value it for what if is worth. !As a matter of fact they take no ' notice of it. The Territorial system •at Home does not go far-enough; it ; does not provide what I think to be ’ essential for the Territorial defence > fo.ee in England ; bitt Lord Roberts ■ is making great headway, and it is : astonishing how public opinion is : changing on the subject. While 1 ; was at Home I addressed a public ' meeting at Bradford on this question i among others, and although Bradford is supposed to be what you ■ would call a hot place at which to ; venture on the subject I received an 1 excellent hearing, which I think is

i significant.” 'THAT EXPEDITIONARY FORCE. ENTIRELY VOLUNTARY. i Of all statements accredited to ■ Mr. Allen while he has been abroad. ■ none have given rise to so much dis- | cussion and comment in New Zealand as utterances labelled “Expeditionary Forces.” “They have been talking a lot of rubbish about this expeditionary force,” said the Minister. ‘All I proposed was the need of being ready with war material. (equipment and transport arrangeI ments for sending an expeditionary j force if the time ever came when i such a force were needed ; but so far | as the personnel of such a force is | concerned I have always said abso- [ luteiy and unmistakably that such a j force must be entirely voluntary. ‘ There is nothing new about the exipeditionary force idea; I talked

■ about it myself before I left for i Home, and, in fact, it has been talk- | cd about for at least two or three I years. All it means is that we do not want to be caught in the unprepared stat<’ in which we were caught the last, time on the occasion of the Boer war. when Xew Zealand was so ready jto respond to the appeal 'of our i brothers oversea. When that apI peal came we had plenty of men ! eager to go. but nothing was arrang- j rd in the matter of equipment and j transport. There was no knowledge [ of what the requirements would be | for horse, artillery or foot : in fact, there was no sort cf organisation beforehand to meet all the necessities of such a situation. If the call conies at a moment's notice it is of little value to have men if you have

not got all the necessary details arranged so necessary for effective >.p< rat ion at a moment's notice. Can anyone object to such an obviously sensible proposition ■ There u.-u> never any question (’.bruit the New Zealand expedit ionay force being other than voluntary.”