NAVAL DEFENCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 15 May 1922, Page 8

NAVAL DEFENCE.

'f^^Sfi-; ZEALAND'S CONTRIBUTION. 2JB%'" WELLINGTON, May 13. \t:-Q£%sh&a. spoken to by a press repie.3,<;^^^atiye regarding the cabled state0^ Lord Lee of Farnham cony^jjfel^tag; the allocation of the cost oi si^^C? InPe"al Navy, the Prime Minister i 'S^l?S^ Er®d to a speech which he made ii J<i>\3rapi'ftment on His return from the Em r^^r^fe;."Conference. He had quoted s of the conference supporting \ co-operation in providing naval i .^g^g^1 !"©; that the method of expense such co-operation are matters for ■ s^^fifef firm determination of the several :;^3j^!||^iaments concerned, and that any 7^->^C^mmendation thereon should be dey>;a||^g^r©d until after the coming conferon disarmament. Mr Massey at j 7^os6jisame time stated emphatically that; 'Zealand would do her duty. Re-j f*3^g^|ng to the matter to-day, the Prime said that his words still held ■&^?^; As he stated in Parliament, ap|^>p^ti6nment of the cost would probably S|^i||p?f- matter for consideration at the rn P*re Council following the >t'*^^%Tii ngton Conference, but any arm«nt made then would be subject ■|}|y^^p^ratification by the Parliaments of life^wp-vEmpire. In the meantime New ■^S'^^flaiid continues to make a contribug^^S^t^iri the maintenance of H.M.S. l^^^^l^am and smaller vessels, and she paying off the capital cost of New Zealand and will be for years to come.