DEFENCE OF THE EMPIRE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 24 September 1909, Page 3

DEFENCE OF THE EMPIRE.

' Pbess Association.— Copsmqht. -THE iaPitaiArCoßF£BEKC£.o '770t.vF.k- .-.---■ ■■■-'■ ■- - ■■- - - - : NEWS BY THE.' MAIL. THE NAVAL AGREEMENT. THE NEW- ZEALAND DREAD- ... NOUGHT; DIFFER. AN "INDOMITABLE .CRUISER. (TO BE FLAGSHIP OF THE CHINA STATION. . SIB JOSEPH. WARD'S ATTITUDE. ■- ' (Received 9.5 a.m.) PERTH, Friday. The' Press Association corresponded under: date. London, 27th July, writes: — "Mr Asquith's statement in the House of -Commons last evening made -us acquainted; with the general results' of the Conference on the Empire's defence, but there is" more than one hiatus in ethics only to be filled when, the official documents are published in the autumn. The military side of the Conference was a small matter which created.no difficulties. ._, No suggestion was/ made for interfering with the control of oversea dominions in ;■ anything relating 5 to" their own armies. Every detail -of every kind, length of service,- -the of service, periods of drill, and Strength of establishments— with' regard to ; all these colonies and dominions are.' 'absolutely .undisturbed. But, important suggestions had to be 'discussed respecting the stand, ardising-of- the forces,^relating to such matters' as' uniformity of pattern in weapons, and -of drill,,, the formation of unions, questions of "transport -and other things affecting assimilation to the Home army, jso that, if 'ever 'the forces of the oversea, dominions joined iwith those lof Britain !pr India, there would be co-or-I duration' and unity:: ' .The' work of the' I dominions hereafter will be directed, hot jonly -by,; their.. own home defences, but to the creation of an Imperial army. If New Zealand" or any other dominion introdac r^nrriveraal military- .ervice, it I will be able to do so. on its own indepen- | dent lines. - i "The naval work of the Conference was of higher importance than anything referring to military affairs. The gath. ering sprang- primarily out of New Zealand sf offer of a Dreadnought, followed *_j a similar undertaking on the part of the Australian Commonwealth. It is no secret that those offers created embarrassment to ■ the. Home Government It was never expected that the historic f leeches of Mr Asquith and Mr Mcenna.on- the rapidly-growing strength of the "German- aTmy would arouse such a patriotic response among the colonies as an undertaking to bear - some of the burdens of the Old Country, Expert opinion.;, decidedly was against the acceptance of anything so ..large as a Dreadnought unless the vessel could be used in home waters and be counted on aa ,a justification- for reckoning' it as a replacement, of a home battleship. Public; opinion resented that aspect of the..--gift. Moreover, all naval men who looked" at the increase in Germany's cruisers were concerned as to the necessity of" preserving the trade Toutes. It was obvious to everybody who had access to^ official opinion, from the day the Conference was summoned to the last hour of .its sitting, that the Home Government would strive 'to convert the offers -of battleships into cruisers. There was' less difficulty.' in -.this respect with the Commonwealth 'than with New Zealanda'i^iSir Joseph Ward, who had the advantagj^of being his own Prime Min-isters-capable of speaking for his Government, held strongly- to his 'original offer. _ '-The Commomyealth invited him to join 7 in the creation of an Australian navyi to -be manned and trained ijide--pendently of ; the Home Government; but; Sir Joseph preferred to rely, upon the 'Imperial fleets. ., "It follows,, therefore, Chat the New Zealand arrangement with our authorities differs 'in many respects ' from that of the Gomonwealth. k It is this: Besides continuing the old annual subvention of £100,000, New, Zealand will present the Empire with a battleship. Sir Joseph; Ward would have preferred a Dreadnought, and amongst more or less inspired paragraphs that have been circulated .respecting, the doings of this se--cret. Conference ..one was issued after the .'la'sfc., sitting' which distinctly asserted that" Sir. Joseph ;^?ard had adhered to : his "Dreadnought .offer to the last. A statement, which ought to be correct, makes it: known that the New Zealand donation,- over and above- -i the. annual subvention, which, was £100,000,. wi1l be 'a large armoured cruiser of the Indom3tabto" class, (some/imes described "as 'Dreadnought cruisers.' This ship will be attached to the China unit of the Pacific fleet, and become .its flagship and the. flagship : of the'-i East Indian and Australian units — in fact bf all the units of the Pacific .fleets whenever they are together/* ' As" the China' unit will not often be seen in New Zealand waters, it was arranged that some of the smaller' vessefe of the . China unii\— small crhisers -(.and. .submarines — shall have their in a New ' Zealand -portLy : .. THE AUSTRALIAN SCHEME. '.FUBTTHER COMMENTS IN LONDON. (Received Sept. 24, 9.4 oa.m.) LONDON, Thursday. ■ The "Standard" congratulates the Commonwealth upon its defence proposals, and sajrs:— "To Australia may yet belong' the high credit' of having^ been 'first among : tho states .of the Empire to Institute a ooirip'ilspry' military service Mr -Deakin is well advised to plan an organisation which will be a: compromise between a system of maintaining a paid regular- armykof volunteers and-- a sysiiem'.kinaintaiming ah immense unpaid force recruited under compulsion at the cost of, the dual organisation. As thei scheme, develops it may become very onerous. In that case Australia will consider the . advisableness of extending the compulsory side, of the. organisation in order '-"'to have an army fit to fight on equal terms with any troops it may .encounter.'.'- The' ''-'Standard" questions whether the' periods of training are adequate relatively, to the'heavy cost to the :pApulatioh,-'ancF.says:'that the large pro-portion-'of; the- people required to bear arms will indicate \the urgent necessity of .encouraging immigration and -develop-ment.-'-k -•■ 7 .:'. . „-. ,'.. : The "Daily Graphic -s ays that the Australian defence scheme is -of so noble a plan, arising from so generous and worthy an. aspiration, that it is almost 'impertinent to: praise it.. . ' . ■-'■ The, "Manchester Guardian" says that the-effeet of 'the arrangements made by, the Colonial Defence Conference in London* 'is- to" diminish ..our potential : strehgthiin"home waters by one cruiser ' Di-eidn'ought. ,The '^Guardpan. « deprecates Mr.: Cook, . Austrahan- Uefence Minister, .resting the case of his new 'arrangements. partly, at any rate, on -the' 'great - naval superiority of Japan m the Far Eeast compared with Britain and remarks 1 : /'We should be very sorry^ to 'think that. Australia is going- to have, a havalbogey-of t her own and make a. Germany of Japan."-.