DEFENCE OF THE EMPIRE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 25 September 1909, Page 4

DEFENCE OF THE EMPIRE.

f THE EMPIRE CONFERENCE. FURTHER DETAILS BY THE MAIL Pauss Association. — Copibioht. F PERTH, Friday. The Press Association's London corre- ) spondent forwards the appended further I details of the Defence Conference :— i "One important qubjecti connected . with the military question relates to the interchange of officers of the various do- . minions, which will be able to set up : their general staffs, and the colonial ofS fleers will be interchanged with officers {from the General Staff at Home. This J part of the subject is at present m a ! ! suggestive form only. The visits of Sir John French to Canada and of Lord Kitchener to New Zealand and Australia will give shape to many of the suggestions which were under discussion at . the Conference respecting military matters. The interchange of officers and the extent to which it can be adopted I will be in the forefront of the discus- . feiohs thafi will' arise from the ivisits i of these tjyo officers. Thorough organisation and co-ordination were the great [ topics under cpnsideratipu at the re- ; cent Conference, questions of straetgy 1 were not wholly excluded from some of i the sittings. There were, of course, no • war plans under review, but it wae ne- ■ cessary to anticipte in what direction and under what condition's help could be mutually given. At present the Empire is on very good terms with Germany, but he would be a foolish Australian who would shut his eyes to what js going on Jn New Guinea waters. The , German place of arms, which is being established theje] ii not intended for a Teuton pjenic. Again, though Japto (s to-day our aljy, "and a very loyal ally, ; the deed of partnership will empire be- ' fore many ye&rs are over. Japan, like Germany, requires an outlet for her ' population, and the Northern parts of : tie Australian continent might prove very inviting to Japan, if Japan were not, our very good friend. Such a con- ; tingency applies also to the ease of rejuvenated China, especially if China be--1 comes able to rejuvenate herself at the same Tate" and with the same completeness that Japan has done. "New Zealand may also some day have 1 trouble with an invader. Probably these b&HSOS of anxiety are far off; but it is the duty of the Army and Navy to an--1 ticipate such events. It should not surprise us, therefore, if such Subjects as have been, nameol were discussed by some $_'$!, 'delegates, "and present to the nUnM O^'bttiers'wh&j. deliberated upon. A widespread scheme of Impwel defence, and the prospective services of Australia ' to India, which would be in they forefront of'^uch jjeliberations before the present Anglo-RUsslah. 'entente was set up, cap. now be placed in the background. The security of India has also ijesil rnqde more complete by the defensive schemes 6)1 Lord Kitchener; IJ'ut the existing relations with Uussia may not last many years'. "Russia is forced to be quiet to-day, Ijecause fyejr ffymy is in g. transitional stage;* but' she has' aUyays had ajfd always will' have, many ambitions' and prpvpc&tiye officials, who \vill lead th ft empire }i>to trouble, as they have done In the past, , '.'Stonewalled Joy Oerman, diplomacy in Europe Russia may some day revive her intrigues in the fertile atmosphere of Afghanistan, and, aided by modern railway transport, she may once more make the North- West frontier of India a scene of trouble to us. These ore SflirlWhaim^eiilf jS-fjbs ;° aijd' where, on tho other ban l , Australia may be of assistance t:j India. ""^.'Though -tra'tegic plans were fcrmed, they iyepe »P 'fi.rt fif the Conference programme- ' Tn. objective of th',e f. pnr ference was based upon those contiijgept )jeoej_ij£i_§ p| the Empire's 'ejefeu'ee . jyh'i'ch lie »t' the ro.ot pi all pjajjs f i gampaigi). The case pf the Pa.niniqrir W«ftHh i§ wholly different from tniil of New Zealand- Tfc. responsibilities of the Dominion end with the provision pf a Dreadnoiighht cruiser or large ormiui - - ed cruiser, whichever you may c.iil it. ; The Commonwealth, like Canada, pre-! ' fers to lay the foundation of her own ' fl^. .. , , ; "The Cape delegates could do nothing' af, the present stage for their Act of Union has not yet become law. "The plans of the Commonwealth will virtually Teverse the old relations that j existed between Australia and the Moth- ' er Country. The island oontinent will thereafter have its own fleet. It will commence with a large armoured cruiser similar to that of the New Zealand, an Indomitable; three second-class cruisers of the Bristol type ; six destroyers of the river class ; and three submarines of the C class. Acoording to Mr Asquith's statements, the men will be trained and disciplined like those of the Royal Navy. A naval college will be part of the fu- , ture of the scheme. There i will be an Australian admiral, taken in , the first instance from the wo'yal Navy, and the rates of pay will be somewhat , higher than those of the British Admir- • alty. There will be exchange of offic ers between Home and the Common- ; wealth and exchange visits of ships be- \ tween the Commonwealth vessels and the vessels belonging to the China command and in New Zealand waters. ] "We may take it also that there will be occasions when the China and Australian unite will train together. In every instance the senior officer, no matter to what unit he belongs, will be in ; command. i "The Commonwealth will also take , over the existing Government Navy • Yards at Sydney, which is not to be. diverted from its present purpose. Pos- i sibly also' at a later date there may be | a large Comomnwealth dock at Freinarj- j tie, for which negotiations p.re already i tentatively in progress. j "You will thus observe that the Com- j mon wealth will relieve England of her , present large responsibilities. This cour- 1 ageous step will involve a heavy finan- i cial burden, but the Mother Country I : will help the Commonwealth to bear it. | | "Altogether the new schemes will in- ' ■; yplve an outlay that will absorb half a million annually for the interest and ; sinking fund of the naval loan. The \ British confeibiition, over and above ; that sum will be a quarter of a million' a • year, making the total oost of the Com- ; : monwealth fleet three-quarters of a mil- < lion. If New Zealand raised a loan ) for the payment of her battleship_ cruis- j er, the cost to the ratepayers will be f £150,000 a year for interest and sinking | fund ,aparr from her donation of | £100,000 a year. _ j "Canada stands in a different position j from Australia and New Zealand. Al- j ready she has" an excellent army, and • possesses whatever value is to be fou-id in the Monroe Doctrine. Nevertheless, j in the interests of protecting her own ; commerce, Canada desires to lay tln>. j [foundation of her own fleet. It stead of; .' a large battleship or cruiser, Cana.li v.il! : in the first instance provide herself v.vth : small cruisers and destroyers, tc be placed on both her seaboards. '.Heady : Canada has arranged with the Home i Government to take over the maintenance of the Halifax and Esquimault Naval Yards. I "The work for Australia and New Zealand will be taken in hand by English builders as soon as the decision of the two Governments has affirmed the i work of the Conference; but fully two years will elapses before these colonial contributions to the Empire's navy will be brought into being."