COMMAND OF THE SEA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15567, 26 March 1914, Page 7

COMMAND OF THE SEA.

THE NAVAL CONFERENCE. MATTER BEING DISCUSSED. PSYCHE'S RELIEF CREW. AUSTRALIAN SUBMARINES. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. London, March 25. The Government is considering a proposal to hold a defence conference with Australia and New Zealand, and is now communicating with the Governments of these Dominions. This was a statement made yesterday in the House of Commons by Mr. Asquith, in reply to a question. Mr. Churchill (First Lord of the Admiralty), in reply to another question as to whether the proposals regarding the disposition of the fleet were made after consulting the Dominions, remarked that the statement introducing the Estimates was self-explanatory, and he had nothing to add to that. Mr. Churchill, continuing, said that he had seen the newspaper reports ot the remarks by Senator Millen (Australian Minister for Defence) on the defence of the Pacific. A relief crew for the Psyche, at present on the New Zealand station, will sail at the end of April. The two Australian submarines have left Suez.

NO CHEESE-PARING POLICY. The speech of Senator Millen referred to by Mr. Churchill was made by the Australian Minister on March 9 at a banquet in Melbourne in honour of Sir lan Hamilton. Senator Millen said he wanted to dispel the apprehension which had arisen through a statement that by economies and retrenchment in the cost of the defence system the Government intended to cripple the forces. He dissociated himself entirely from any cheese-paring policy that sought to effect retrenchment by cutting down officers' salaries, whether civil or military. The fact that a sum of £1.500,000 more was being expended in defence was sufficient guarantee that the Government wag not going to starve the army of Australia.