PEACE AND WAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13483, 9 May 1907, Page 5

PEACE AND WAR.

. ' VIEWS OF ADMIRAL FAWKES. DEFENCE OF THE EMPIRE. '-,:,"•;',V'- : . . "...■•.,-. "■ ■' ■-. .'' • ■_■ ■ ..",■.' T B y. TELEGRAPH.— ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Wednesday. A T a banquet last night Admiral Fawkes replied to the toast of "The Navy." . He said he might quote the words of a great ' European statesman, "that a strong Bri- j tish navy was the best guarantee of the ' peace of the world." - The greatest interest of the British Empire was peace. He ■ jjdd that the best interest oi: nearly every ; inhabitant on the face of the globe, except perhaps, some few who still had to earn their freedom through war, was peace.; The futility of war was apparent, when one remembered that only a few years ago we were nearly at war with France about some •'■ obscure place in the Soudan, and. now we might look upon France as one of our greatest friends, with its great liberal ideas, j its advanced civilisation, and its arts, literature, manners, and refinements. It was something to feel that a strong British.navy saved us from the horrors of a Avar with France, our best friend. Notwithstanding all these matters of peace conferences - and Arbitration Courts, it would still be » ease of Si vis pacein,'par* bellum." (If you wish for peace prepare for war.) While he would not touch o' 1 any question of preference, or on that of protection versus : '" free trade, he thought that what they should aim ai> was freo trade within the • Empire, That could not come yet, although there was a time when many 7 thought that free trade could not come between the States of Australia. Dealing with the question of the defence of the Empire, Admiral Fawkes said they had to see that the Old Home of the race .was kept intact, and also the outlying parts of ££ the estate. He was quite certain that '; 'i >'ew Zealand would meet in a spirit of selfsacrifice any dangers threatening the Em- • ■ pire. ' The toast of the "Parliament of New Zealand" was proposed by Professor Maclaurin, who, in doing so, said he admitted : that a Ministry consisting of doctors of law in New Zealand would not be a good one, but at the same time lie would, like • to see more of our university men entering political life. - _"* Dr. Findlay (Attorney-General) replied. ACTING-PREMIER'S SPEECH. COLONIAL NAVIES CONDEMNED. V ; ;*;i ■ [BY telegraph.— CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Wednesday. , "Notwithstanding what has been said in Australia with regard to the establishment of an Australian navy under the Commonwealth, I cannot but believe that the Australians would be only too willing to pay a sum more proportionate to the services 'r' that are being rendered than is being paid ■•-' at the present time." In these words the Acting-Premier emphasised, when proposing the toast of "The Imperial Forces of the Crown," at the banquet, his conviction that New Zealand's interest .lay in maintaining the Imperial fleet as a whole, instead of establishing separate colonial fleets. New Zealand and Australia were now paying some £200,000 a year towards the up-keep and cost of the squadron. As a matter of fact, that did not represent more than one-third ' ' »C tfte'^t>'si^"t^tt^ , '»ijtJa:arOir: ,; ' (Hear/ hear,'" • and applause.) "He had no hesitation in ; saying that we were not paying sufficient for the great services we were receiving. (Loud applause.) While there must be ' some advantages in having an . Australian navy, they could not- get away from the fact. that under the modern conditions of fighting, any enemy opposed to them would have to concentrate. At present the Imperial navy probably outnumbered any two, or more nearly any 'three foreign . Powers. The enemy's fleet in any war would' have to concentrate either for. attack or defence. That being so, it would never do to have vessels lying out here •A . . doing nothing while their services were required elsewhere; (Loud applause.) There were some New Zealanders on the ships Y (Admiral Fawkes: "And some very good ones.") Yes, everything from New Zealand was good. -~ Admiral -Fawkes, in replying, read a cablegram from Sir Joseph Ward, expressing regret at not being present.