AN AUSTRALIAN NAVY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4806, 8 November 1902, Page 5

AN AUSTRALIAN NAVY.

SIR JOHN FORREST’S MINUTE. MELBOURNE, November 7. Now that tho Home Government has issued tho proceedings of tho Imperial Conference, Sir Edmund Barton lias communicated to the press the full text of tho resolutions of tho conference. Sir John Forrest’s minute, read at the Imperial Conference, which is included in tho Parliamentary Blue Book laid on the table of the British House of Commons, has been published hero. In it Sir John says ho must accept Admiral Beaumont’s opinion that it is beyond the power of tho Commonwealth at the outset to create a force adequate for the naval defence of Australia. To provide oven the small squadron proposed by Sir Lewis Beaumont would cost £3,600,000, as follows:— Tito first-class cruisers, £1,000,000; six second-class, £2,500,000; depots, stores and naval yards, £IOO,OOO Tho maintenance of this squadron, if fully manned, to enable it successfully to engage the firstclass cruisers of an enemy, together with two second-class cruisers as training ships and two thousand men, would probably cost a million a year, inclusive of 5 per cent, on capital cost. In existing conditions, therefore, Sir John Forrest does net recommend the establishment of an Australian navy. He feax-s it would not bo very efficient, for besides the enormous cost of replacing tho fleet from timo to time with more modern ships, there would bo no change of officers and crews, w'ho would go on year after year in the same ship, subject to the same influence, and with deteriorating effect. Sir John advises that Australia should not get tho idea that she has different interests from those of the rest of the Empire. “There is only one sea to bo supremo over, and wo want one fleet to be mistress over that sea.” He speaks of tho desirability of having one fleet, maintained by tho whole nation, every part contributing to its support on some plan to bo mutually arranged. Arising out of this would bo the consequent necessity for tho oversea dominions of the Empire to be adequately represented at the Admiralty, and .‘Sir John feels that this could bo arranged on a mutually satisfactory basis. in time of war there could not be any division of responsibility, and until a more extended federation of the Empire is established, that responsibility would have to rest on tho Imperial Government.

Tho minute further urges that greater facilities should bo granted for locallytrained boys entering the navy, and also that it should be made easier for officers to enter it. It suggests that a conference of the London representatives of the colonies should be held to discuss the strengthening of the naval defence of tho Emoire.

(Received November 7, 10.25 p.m.) LONDON, November 7. Owing to tho criticisms on tho Bine Book, Mr Chamberlain has explained that the publication was restricted to matters agreed upon for publication. AH that was confidential, ho said, had been withheld.