DOMINIONS AND NAVY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18089, 13 May 1922, Page 9

DOMINIONS AND NAVY.

NEW ZEALAND'S SHARE.

MATTER FOR PARLIAMENT.

PRIME MINISTER'S ATTITUDE. [b? telegraph.—-own correspondent.] WELLINGTON"'. Frids-y "New Zealand will fto iff? share," said the Prime Minister to-day in the course of a brief reference to naval defence. The Imperial Conference of 1921 had affirmed the necessity for co-operation among the Stales of tho Empire in providing such naval defenco as might be essential for security. Mr. Lloyd George had said at the conference that the United Kingdom could not go on bearing the whole cost of the Imperial Navy. The Prime Ministers, including Mr. Massey himself, had agreed that the Dominions should take their share of the burden. Mr. Massev added that the adjustment of the naval defence policy necessarily had been left over until after the Washington. Conference. The Prime Ministers who were present at the Imperial Conference of 1921 could not have laid down exact plans, since it was obvious then that the naval policy would have to bo considered in the light of the outcomo of the conference on disarmament, The matter would com© forward at the next Imperial Conference. The final decision, as far as New Zealand was concerned, would rest with the New Zealand Parliament, but as he had said in tho House of Representatives last session, he did not doubt for a moment that the Dominion would do its duty.