The New Zealand Times. FRIDAY, JULY 26, 1912. LOCAL JINGO OUTBREAK

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8183, 26 July 1912, Page 6

The New Zealand Times. FRIDAY, JULY 26, 1912. LOCAL JINGO OUTBREAK

New Zealand’s contribution of 2s a bead to the Imperial Navy is utterly inadequate in degree, and there is a growing, though not as yet very fully developed, sentiment that it is wrong in kind. To pay others to do our fighting is a policy unworthy of our self-respect.—Wellington ‘ Post.” "It ia useless to fling money about on the spur of the moment.”—Mr Churchill.

Wo desire to take this early opportunity of protesting against the production of Mr Churchill’s extended naval policy being utilised as an excuse for increasing the defence bill of New Zealand. As insistent advocates of maintaining an efficient citizen army we can probably bo allowed to do this without being accused of sympathy with foreign Powers or of desiring to see the Empire destroyed. The local jingoes have, howbvef, already commenced their clamour about the navy, and for that reason it is time for the public to be on the alert lest the Government should be induced to entangle the community in a further set of obligations. Our reasons for opposing any addition to the cost of defence are that this is already heavy, that another turn of the screw would in all probability so incense the electors that our whole scheme of defence would be imperilled, and that in any case the position Britain finds herself in is one this country can do practically nothing towards assisting her in. Three years ago our subsidy to the navy amounted to £40,000 a year. It was then increased to £IOO,OOO, and at that figure has continued. In 1908 the Defence Department cost £195,635, last year £401,000. Wo are, in addition, paying £150,000 for the Dreadnought. • * * • •

Thus, while four years ago our expenditure on naval and military defence cost £199,685, we have now to meet an annual bill of £651,870, which means £12,636 per week._ The* advance has been quite rapid enough, except for those demented individuals who want to see the country overrun by colonels and a vice-admiral in every pert. It represents an expenditure which can only be accelerated by saddling the country with liabilities which neither the circumstances we find ourselves in nor our means will justify. “It is useless to fling money about on the impulse of the moment," said Mr Churchill in his speech to the House of Commons. Let our own Government take those words to heart and not strain too far the patience of the taxpayers. To tell us that on a per capita calculation the people of Great Britain pay much more for naval defence than do we, and,that, therefore, we should go on speeding-up ” our rate of outlay is mischievous nonsense. Great Britain is an immensely wealthy nation—the -world’s great creditor. New Zealand is a debtor nation, paying millions a year in interest to the other, and for us to imagine it necessary to spend money at the same rate would he to take the first step towards ruination.

Two or three years ago we were told hy the Imperial authorities that the best possible contribution we could make towards the defence of the Empire would bo to put our own house in order —to so arrange our affairs as to be able to repulse an invader. This we set out to do, but have hardly got the new scheme into working order when heated demands are made for amplifying our expenditure on naval defence, notwithstanding a recently increased annual and thegift of a Dreadnought. This we take leave to suggest is riding the thing to death. It is not our business to help Great Britain defend the English Channel. She is well able to do that herself. Even if we taxed ourselves another million a year (or borrowed r) and handed the money over to the Admiralty the menace would still he there, the burden on the British people just as great as now. Indeed, the only possible effect of such, lunacy would be that John Bull might possibly have an additional million to lend us on short-dated debentures.

Equally as irrelevant as the per capita calculation is the gibe that ‘ we are hiring other people to do the fighting for us.” This is sheer cant. Great Britain is vitally interested in defending her possessions and keeping command of the sea. The oversea Dominions, are her host customers, she has enormous financial interests at stake in each of them, from them she draws immense returns upon invested capital, with the ocean highways blocked her people would starve. She is the senior partner in a world-wide business, and her naval policy is forced upon her as the result of that position. In defending the ocean she is defending herself, and the reasons for the existing situation are as far beyond our control as they are directly within the control of British diplomacy.'' Our business is at our own end—here. We can best attend to it by perfecting our internal defence and by populating our country.