CANADA'S NAVAL SCHEME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15169, 7 December 1912, Page 7

CANADA'S NAVAL SCHEME.

|%FT TO MOTHERLAND.

'.; THREE FIRST-CLASS warships "i'.ir. ■ ■

: PART OF A PACIFIC FLEET.

I 'imperial CO-PARTNERSHIP.

BRITAIN'S FOREIGN POLICY.

CANADA TO HAVE A VOICE.

Br Telegraph — Presi Aiiociatlon.—Copyrijht.

Ottawa, December 5. The Canadian naval policy was announced to-day in the House of Commons by the Prime Minister (Mr. R. X. Borden).

The reading of a memorandum from the Admiralty dealing with the Imperial naval policy occasioned : tremendous excitement. % The memorandum explained that it had proved necessary to weaken the British overseas fleets in order to ,'cope with German expansion. Aid from Canada was likely to produce 4 great effect on other Powers. v ; The Admiralty advocated building tie best and strongest ships possible, on the ground that such were {I likely to be of the most service. British and German Fleets. The memorandum shows that in "the spring of 1915 Britain would have 25 Dreadnoughts and Germany i 17. The larger margin of strength ■\ would give greater freedom to the British fleets in every sea. The increased security would diminish the possibility of attack. The British fleets, it is stated, wero .predominant in 1900 in every sea, bow they were predominant nowhere except in the North Sea, and this Respite a greatly increased expendi- , tare on naval defence. J

|; In order to secure safety in Home waters, the overseas fleets had to be glided of ships.

Gift of Three Battleships.

||;Mr. Borden declared that nothing less than absolute security of the trade routes was sufficient. The Government had decided £o present three battleships, of the best possible class, to the Imperial Navy, and it intended to ask Parliament for a tote of £2,350,000 as the first instalment of the cost of the vessels.

3 The aid that Canada proposed to live, said Mr. Borden, would enable Britain to establish a fleet of battleships and cruisers in the Pacific, with powerful squadron regularly visiting the Atlantic coast. * .; - - •~■©» Government was not embarking jßfl a system of regular contributions; to the Imperial navy. > Canada proposed that the ships should be at first controlled by the Royal Navy, but later, if Canada de,l&ed control, it could be secured at I reasonable notice. Britain, he added, would build the battleships, but the smaller vessels ad auxiliary cruisers would be built Canada. -'■.. . Voice in the Foreign Policy. The problem that had to be wed, Mr. Borden continued, was ■M "of combining co-operation P .autonomy. The task of proofing for the defence of an everting Empire was becoming increasingly difficult for Britain singleWed, and the Dominions must &e the control of foreign policy, »hich had hitherto been within BriKb's exclusive control. In future it was intended to make to Canadian Minister for Marine a ttmanem- member of the Imperial ] Wence Council and he would act in J Kisultation on all questions of for- t «n policy. ( The Minister for Marine, he said, < Wild live •in London while a * Mine for participation in the m of foreign policy was J out, and would become £ immanent member of the Com- c pe of Imperial Defence. s ||ft Enthusiastically Supported. i jS Charles Tupper (formerly Prime i] W* of Canada), Mr. George 1 mm other, leading statesmen, D plastically favour the new fei Cha t rlea Tupper declares that £ %K 6 « pect an y thi so gener- d , "the Government's gift. a