IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume III, Issue 145, 4 June 1913, Page 5

IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

AUSTRALIA DISAPPOINTED. NZ. PARTNERSHIP NOT WORTH MUCH. [ PRESS ASSOCIATION COPYRIGHT.] (Received 4. 9.35 a.m.) Sydney, June 4. Referring to the Hon. James Allens guarded statement, tin •'Telegraph” says: ‘‘Mr. ALen’-. present hints seem to indicate that he favours the separate unit policy at first propounded by Sir Joseph Ward’s Government, and which w.tthrn virtually abandoned. New Zea land has comparatively but a small population, and is to a serious ex tent isolated. \\ hether she can afford anything more than a mos quito fleet, which Mr. Allen lias now repudiated. is, to say lhe least, ques tionable. and if New Zealand cannu.’ provide and maintain anything better than a mosquito fleet, then as a partner of Australia and Canada m keeping the Pacific for Britain, .t will not count for much.” MR. ALLEN'S REPLY. THE “TELEGRAPH” MISTAKEN. Auckland. June 4. When the Sydney “Telegraph's" cabled comments were brought under Mr. Allen’s notice, the Minister said the Ward Government never advanced the separate unit policy, hut. suggested direct contributions should be made to the Imperial Government, to be expended as the British Admiralty thought fii. This Mr. Allen declared was a very different thing to a *w’parare unit policy. He could not lundersiaml the reference to the mosquito fleet. As undestood bv the Government it w:.< a fleet of and torpedo boat destroyers adapted for the defence of the coast and harbours of Groat Britain.