THE COLONIES AMD IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13456, 8 April 1907, Page 8

THE COLONIES AMD IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT.

IMPORTANT SPEECHES BY MESSRS BALFOUR AX!) CHURCHILL.

[FROM OUR OWN < nIiKKspoVJIKNT.J

Quite unexpectedly a first-class "full dress" debate of almost historic importance arose the other afternoon upon an amendment to the Address in-Reply, proposed by Mr. Harold Cox, M.P. for Preston, to the effect that "the first question to be -laid before the coming Colonial Conference should he the importance of the fuller participation by the colonies in the cost of defending Your Majesty's Dominions." Mr. Cox complained that whereas Great Britain's total naval and military expenditure annually was

,-w.OOU.COO, that oUtlie colonies was only £837,000. I'iie Australian squadron, mainly intended for the purely local defences of Australasia, cost £670,000 a year. to which Australasia contributed only £240,000. Why should the people o"f this country be taxed to relieve the-*, wealthy communities of the primary ciuiv of sell-defence? Trie obstacle to old a„« Illusions lie re was that we could noi afford to pay for thetn. In Ansa.ilia they had old age pensions, because th-v were paid for by our money, as were also their members of Parliament. We got nothing in return. We ought to negotiate with the colonies for a partnership basis so tout we could treat them a- panners and riot any longer as children. This having been formally seconded. Mr. Balfour instantly rosy in " hi- best form, and the House, which had been almost empty, was at once tilled in every pan. Mr. Balfour's speech was one of the tmest he, has ever delivered, and was frankly admitted, even by the Colonial UnderSecretary, Mr. Winston Churchill, to be " inspired by the most profound political wisdom. ' He expressed a hope that the question of imperial defence would not be brought before the Conference in anything like the spirit of Mr. Cox's amendment. Mr. Balfour earnestly deprecated any disposition to treat the subject in "the spirit of a debtor and creditor account between the colonics and ourselves 'I he whole cost of the fleet and the greater cost ol the army fell on the British taxpayer, or rather the taxpayer of the Lnilecl Kingdom— still United Kingdom, ' r.peated Mr. Balfour with an accent on the adverb in obvious reference to the Premier's recently avowed Home Rule ambitions. " Mr. Cox's idea was that each colony should pay its fraction of the cost But would one single fewer battleship be leouired by England, and would the army Estimates be diminished » farthing, if the whole of our colonies, which were our glory and (be support of (he Empire, were to declare for independence to-morrow? The Louse must remember, too, that all the dangers England ran the colonics also ran, although they were not necessarily concerned. The fad that they belonged to a world-wide Empire exposed the Colonies sometimes to dangers which, if they were self-contained communities, they would for L.at very reason ape. It was impossible to ask the taxpayer in Canada, in Australia, New Zealand, or the Cape to provide money for someone else to spend, and he .'. mid view with the deepest misgivings" --here Mr. Balfour's tone's were most impressive—" the proceedings of any Government of this country which suggested to the colonies that they were not doing their duty to the Empire unless they were re.-'dv to nut ships and men under British control in time of war. Public opinion was in no part of the Empire ripe for any such development. It was mf even in fight, and never could bo until some machinery ■was- discovered which would enable such affairs to be discuss,.,) by a body independent of the Parliament of this country and the Parliaments of the self-go-verning colonics. We could not ask for it, and if we did we could not get it. The loose organisation of the British Empire had both its advantages and disadvantages, and would necessitate that, in the event of Imperial danger »> should rely, as far as the colonics were concerned, on their voluntary assistance and their voluntary enthusiasm, which, after al' would be better than any number of ship-. 01 men on paper without such enthusiasm. Schemes of fixed contri out ion.-, were illu.-orv. and we must trust in the future, as in the past, and he Imped. with ever increasing confidence, to that feeling of Imperial patriotism which was no monopoly of the citizens of the Empire living in this island, but was .shared to the full by our fellow-citizens in everv quarter pf the globe. The cod of our fleet," declared Mr. Balfour, " would not be diminished even if we lost those colonies, which are, in my opinion, our glory and the great strength of the Empire, (Ministerial cheers.) But rea'ly this is not the whole case, though 1 think it is » very important part of the e:'se. It is quite true that the colonies get from us for nothing a great strength and a great security. But they also, through their connection with us. do run some dangers from which otherwise they might he free. The lion, gentleman has conjured up the possibility of attacks upon New Zealand and Australia by tiermany, by .Japan, or by > a regenerated China if we were not there to act as their protectors, and 1 quite agree. I think the problem which the Australian and New Zealand statesmen would have to consider would be profoundly modified if they were left entirely to their own resources. But let the Hou6e remember that the British Empire touches world politics at a' very large number of points, which do not directly concern either New Zealand or Australia, except in ho far as the inhabitants of New Zealand and Australia are citizens of the Empire as a whole. They have no direct connection with all the complicated questions which arise with regard to the Continent of him ope, the problems of the Near East, the problems of which Lg.vpt is the centre, i he problems of which China,, India, and the Ear East are the centres. We may at any moment be involved in a conflict with sonic first-class Power, which doe* not obviously concern the interests of Canada. New Zealand, or Australia, and all the dangers that we run from such a. conflict they have to run, because they are part of the Empire of which we are the head, Therefore, though it be true that we bear the whole cost of the Beet, and a very large part of the cost of the army, and that they profit in many of their relations by that fact, they have, from the very nature of the case, and because they belong to this world-wide Empire - he-cause they belong to a community which touches other nations at points in every continent of the world they have to run dangers which, were they self-con tained, small, and isolated communities, they would, for that very reason, altogether escape." (Hear, hear.) "Though 1 would never suggest," said Mr. Balfour, "that the idea of closer political relations should be abandoned. I say as a practical politician ,that it is not yet in sight, and that not until that closer organisation comes, and until tiie machinery is devised by which foreign and Imperial affairs can be discussed by somebody l>eyond the Parliaments of this country and of the self-governing colonics, ran. we expect such a result ''. I am sure we should get more out of colonial loyai," voluntary enthusiasm than we should by any attempt at a haul and fast organisation. Whatever we might get on paper, it would come absolutely to nought unless «<. had with us the enthusiasm of the colonies in the unhappy event of our being in conflict with some great Power. Put what you like on paper, if the colonic-- objected, if they thought we were wrongly engaged in the quarrel, yon would not get that assistance yon thought x nil had a right to count upon. (Hear, hear.) The only method is to trus't to voluntary patriotic enthusiasm: you cannot have anything more rigid and systematic until you unite the several communities of the Empire into a rigid, systematic organisation, That system is not in sight, and. until it is. do not let us talk of this illusory scheme of fixed contributions for the defence of the Empire from self-governing colonies, but trust in the future, as we have trusted in the past, and a." 1 hope we ever may with increasing confidence, to that feeling of Imperial patriotism which is no

monopoly of citizens of the Empire living in these islands, but is shared to the full by our fellow-citizens in every part of the globe." (Cheers.)

Directly Mr. Balfour concluded, Mr. Winston Churchill sprang to his feet. He made an exceptionally good and moderate speech. Alter complimenting the ex-Pre-mier mi the ''most prpfonnd political wisdom" which throughout had inspired Ids remark*, he expressed his entire concurrence m the view that it would be wrong to make any attempt to measure the money value of the services exchanged between the Mother Country and the colonies. Still less ought we. he "thought, to try to draw invidious comparisons between the contributions made on either side or the benefit* which >••■ reciprocally interchanged. (Cheers.) We. as a Government, do not wish to east the British Kmpire permanently into a rigid military mould, foreign to its genius and constitution. While we welcome every step which the colonies are prompted to take by their own good feeling, their sense of justice, and the prudential considerations which actuate them to make an addition to the common stock of our defensive resource*, we make no demand on the colonies. Whatever they give us they give voluntarily, and we will accept it gladly, and do our best to derive the utmost possible advantage from it. But it is. of course, clear that the sup.-.tie control of foreign relations must necessarily and inevitably devolve upon that pnitner in our widespread league upon whom would fall, in the event of any struggle, the main burden and the peril of war." (Hirers).