THE AUSTRALASIAN SQUADRON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12585, 21 August 1901, Page 4

THE AUSTRALASIAN SQUADRON.

It is a little surprising that .the agitation, concerning the unpreparedmess of the Mediterranean Sqnadron has not induced ia th'e colonies a similar movement having for its object tlie strengthening of the Australasian Squadron, It is not now seriously contended that the " five fast cruisers and two torpedo gunboats " allotted to the Australian station under tie agreement of 1887 are as sufficient for owe protection as they were thirteen years ago, The position is rather an anomalous one. While the Imperial navy has been steadily improved and increased, the Australasian squadron tes remained practically Stationary. With the exception of the Royal Arthur, a firstclass protected cruiser of 7700 tons, the cruisers are eatisfactary K«to vessels of their type, well fitted for tho work of patrolling the Pacific Islands and the northern coasts of Australia, but quite useless for the protection of States like New South Wales, Victoria and New Zealand'. The torpedo-gunboats, to quote the Hon T. A. Brassey, "betang to a class which is singularly ilUdap'ted for sea-vies on the Australasian statiom" Tte Australian Commonwealth will, of course, have to take action with regard to the squadron in the near future, and in answer to a question in the House of Representatives yesterday Mr Seddon said that he thought joont representation should be made to 'the Imperial Government in .the direction of curing and strengthening the squadron on tne basis of the present contribution. .Wo think tlie time has com© when ™ e whole arrangement should ba reviewed. It has remained in operation since 1887, and two years' notice must be lf lt 19 to bo varied. The total annual ccntabu-tion-of the colonies is only £126,000, New Zealand's share being £21,304. Of tlie

total, £35,000 is supposed to represent interest on first cost audi £91,000 tie doist of maintenance, though in reality the British taxpayer is called upon 'to provide an additional £60,000 per annum. Speaking on behalf of the Imperial Government, in 1897, the Duke of Devonshire said that he attached' the greatest importance to the renewal of tiro agreement, though "tlhe terms were open to reconsideration." The case for reconsideration, seems to us to be overwhelming. The agreement was entered into by the Mother Country in a, purely Imperial spirit; on oiir side til's idea seems to have been that we were obtaining a cheap and efficient local defence. The position lias entirely changed' during the past decade, and cur ideas, we may hope, have grown, a, little in that time. lb would be difficult now to defend the provision that "the vessels of the- squadron fhail be retained within the limits of the Australian station ... or employed beyond l these limits only with the consent of the Colonial Governments." At the wish of Tasmania or Queensland, the squadron could be, under this arrangement, prevented from suppressing trouble in Atiu or Mangaia, to. ray nothing of moving to the relief cf Singapore in time of war. To an energetic Admiral, of course, such an agreement would be lifca piecrust, made to bo broken; and when Admiral Bridge first cam© to Australian waters he could only express his surprise at the narrow view of strategy which confined vessels intended for tlhe defence of Australasian commerce to thei narrow limits of the station. A nervous commander, he pointed out, might shelter, himself behind the agreement and remain safe in Sydney Harbour when his duty obviously directed him' to attack the enemy at Mauritius or some other distant place. This same point was in the mind of the Duke of Devonshire when he declared that the Imperial Government claimed the absolute power of disposing of its forces dn the manner considered mosifc certain to.- secure success, and objected "to limit the action of any .part of them to the immediate neighbourhood of places which may bo more effectively protected by operations at a distance." The real point at issue is whether we are making a contribution to the cost of defending the Empire •or are merely subsidising a few vesseis for purely local defence. There should be no difficulty in deciding. There as no doubt that a substantial improvement, dn both quality and number, is urgently needed in the constitution of the Australasian Squadron, and we question if it can be obtained' "on the basis oif the present contribution."' We hope that when the Coansnioniweatlb moves in this matter the opportunity will be taken of 'revising the agreement with the 'Mother Country and of ensuring that the Austnalasian Squadron shall ba at least as strong a portion of the Imperial fleet, relatively, as it was in 1887.