COLONIAL NAYILS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7866, 31 July 1911, Page 5

COLONIAL NAYILS

THE EMPIRE AGREEMENT UNIFORMITY OF DISCIPLINE AND TRAINING. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright ■ (Received July 30, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, July 29. Mr L. Harcourt, Secretary of State for tho Colonies, has published the naval agreement between Britain. Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It provides that:—■ Tho naval services of each Dominion sliall be exclusively under the inspection of its Government. The training and discipline shall be in uniformity with those of tho British navy. The Dominion ships shall [fly the White Ensign, tho emblem of authority of tho Crown, until the Dominion’s flag at the jackstaff. - In foreign waters Dominion ships shall report to and take orders from the Admiralty. When British and Dominion ships meet the senior officer Is to command in matters of ceremony and international intercourse. Tho Admiralty agrees to lend to the Dominions officers arid men as required the period of development, giving preference to those coming from the Dominions. In war. any Dominion ships put at the Imperial Government’s disposal shall form an integral part of the British fleet, remaining under tho Admiralty throughout the war. MEMORANDUM BEFORE CANADIAN PARLIAMENT. COLONIAL NAVAL STATION. By Telegraph.—Press Association—Copyright. OTTAWA, July 28. A memorandum of the conference between , Canada and Australia and the British Admiralty on the status of tho Dominion forces was tabled -in the Canadian Parliament this morning. The Dominion \ navies are to bo exclusively under the control of the respective Governments, but the training is to bo uniform with that of the Imperial Navy. Canada’s naval stations are to be the North Pacific and the North Atlantic, and Australia’s the South Pacific to the Antarctic.

Mr E. McKenna, First Lord of tho Admiralty, speaking at Pontypool on June 13th. last, said that the naval arrangements, made with tho. Dominions •were moist satisfactory. Bach of.the Dominions would contribute in tho fashion most appropriate to its resources and its internal public opinion to tho strength of the Empire. Some would do. it by direct 6ontribution .to the* power of the British fleet, cither by annual payment or by tho gift of ships, or both: others by tho development of fleets of their own. In the hitter case there would bo interchangeability of ollioers and men and such common standards of training and discipline as to ensure, in the event of war, that tho joint fleets would be able to act in complete union.