DEFENCE OF THE PACIFIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15639, 19 June 1914, Page 6

DEFENCE OF THE PACIFIC.

Although the active participation by New Zealand in the effective defence of the Pacific depends for its form upon the conference to be held next year upon that great Imperial problem, it should be fully discussed in the Dominion, so that a healthy public opinion may support patriotic action. It is absolutely unacceptable to New Zealanders that they should be in any way indebted for protection to Japanese warships. Tho most vivid imagination can hardly foresee any such greeting being extended to our " allies" as was cordially and spontaneously bestowed upon the American Fleet, while when the Royal Australian Navy visits Auckland our citizens will have only one thought and one voice. There is no reason whatever why we should assist in the accumulation of navies in the North Sea, as will be now done by every dominion which by special contributions saves money to the British taxpayer. It is unquestionable that the Asquith Government has treated every colonial battleship gift or project as enabling the United Kingdom to provide correspondingly less for its coast defence, and that it has not the remotest intention of restoring the old British naval position in the Pacific. So far from there being any insane jealousies in this ocean, there is not here a British state

which has the slightest distrust of the growing naval power cf the United States. The power we distrust and suspect is that of Japan— the very power to whom Mr. Winston Churchill handed us over when he deliberately broke the agreement made in 1909 with Sir Joseph Ward and vainly appealed to in 1913 by Mr. Massey. The only manly course is to co-operate with the Mother Country and our fellowcolonists by forming naval contin-

Nts which will strengthen the few

Imperial ships now stationed in the Pacific, and will pass automatically under the Admiralty in time of war.