EMPIRE DEFENCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue XLVII, 13 July 1912, Page 5

EMPIRE DEFENCE.

THE IMPERIAL COMMIITEE MEET. CANADIAN MINISTERS PRESENT.(Pr£;s3 Association. —Copyright.) LONDON, July 12. The Premier presided at a meeting of the Imperial Defence Committee. Mr. Borden and other members of the Canadian Cabinet, Lord Haldane, Mr Lloyd George, and Mr Winston Churchill attended. Mr 'Church and Mr Borden will shortly dismiss the general basis vjf the naval nuestion,_before before the formal conference begins. NEXT YEAR'S BUILDING PROGRAMME, ... ■. LONDON, Jnly 12,. The "Daily News'' states that the Admiralty is asking for an increase of probably four millions in next year's estimates.

MEDITERRANEAN FLEET. A London correspondent, writing on June Ist, says:—Considerable importance is associated with the visit to the Mediterranean of the Prime Minister and the First Lord, of the Admiralty (Mr Churchill), Since it Was announced that the last of the British battleships were to be withdrawn from this Sea* doubt has been expressed as to the adequacy of the garrison to repel attaek.- It has been asserted by officers of the army that the troops in Malta and Egypt in particular would .be quite incapable of holding the .British positions, and that 'Cyprus would inevitably fall into.an enemy's hands, since it would- be able to offer little or no resistance. From the day on which war occurred the road to India, therefore, might be.closed, temporarily or permanently. Ten years ago we maintained 14 battleships in the Mediterranean; now ft is intended to have none in these waters, although the strength of the principal fleets of other Powers is rapidly increasing. As the First Lord has admittel, the policy of concentration has seriously re : stricted the mobility of the British navy, and the Prime Minister's visit raises a vital issue in the most prominent manner. | It is, of course, purely a question of money—probably about a million or a million and a half sterling annually, including the cost of the new ships which would have to be built in the course of the next few years if British prestige in the Mediterranean is to be maintained. It is apparent that the same ships cannot be in two places at once, and the Admiralty have decided that it is necessary to have all the battleships at presenf available or contemplated concentrated iri or near the Channel and North Sea. Therefore, if battleships are to be retained in the Meditteranean—which is > not now the main strategical theatre — Parliament must be prepared to face the heavy charges which will involve. In tlie alternative, a claim will be made for larger garrisons, which will also mean more money. The Paris corespondent of the "Times" points:, out that the situation created in the Mediterranean hy Italy's action in the Aegean is beginning to claim keen attention in France. He continues : "There appears to be some inclination here to Underestimate, in_ view of the recent strategical concentration of the British fleet, the striking power of British sciuadiwis at a distance from their bases. The Temps, for example, has doubtless political objects of its own in view when it concludes, as its London correspondent asserts to-day, that 'the decision'of the British Admiralty to recall its squadrons from Malta is as clear and significant as a treaty of alliance in full' form •, the guardianship of the Mediterranean is confided to the. (French) squadrons of Toulon and Bizerta.' It is nevertheless clear that Italy s seizure of Rhodes of Symi and of other islands opens Tip serious prospects. It is; suggested here that the Triple Alliance, since Italy was warned off the Balkans bv Austria, has been its account with results of the war which,' though, in themselves inopportune, might in the last resort be made to inure to the advantage of Italy's partners in that alliance'. The demonstration at the entrance of the Dardanelles and the seizure of the Aegean Islands were originally intended to put pressure on- Turkey. 'As the end of the war seems as far off as ever these incidents may assume ut more serious aspect and come to represent a kind of main mise by the Triple Alliance upon the Eastern Mediterranean There would be plenty of precedents in German foreign policy towards both allies and friends, for a game ot 'double ruff.', in which both Italy- and Turkey should pay the predominant partner in "-oin of territory or influence.