DEFENCE OF AUSTRALIA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14087, 16 December 1907, Page 5

DEFENCE OF AUSTRALIA.

THE COMMONWEALTH'S PROPOSALS.

STATEMENT BY MR DEAKIN,

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.

MELBOURNE, December 14. Mr Deakin has made his long-promised statement on the defenco policy. The best results, lie said, wero to bo obtained from a citizen army, lie had submitted to tho Imperial Government a proposal to substitute for the present Commonwealth subsidy an offer of 1000 Australian eoomcn, paid by tho Commonwealth, for service in the navy on this station, at an estimated cost of £100,000 annually. The remainder of the present subsidy would be applied by tho Commonwealth to the purchase of submersibles or destroyers, or similar local defences, and, as suggested at the London Conference, of two cruisers of the 1' class, or superior, manned by 400 of the IOCO Australians to be retained on the Australian coast in peace or war, and the loan of two I' cruisers, or superior, to be maintained by the Commonwealth, for training the local naval militia, at an estimated cost to the Commonwealth of £60,000 per annum. 'This proposed amendment is in addition to the Commonwealth vote this year of a quarter of a million for a naval liarbour and coast defcnce, and £50,000 for fortification of harbours.

Of these four cruisers, he proposed that two should be manned bv 500 of the forco of 1000 Australians, and that the other two should be manned by the naval militia, 'inis arrangement, he felt, would fill up tlie gap until such time as the Commonwealth had ships of lier own. Such a policy would dovelop a naval spirit in Australia, would relieve the Imperial Navy- of tho cost of the maintenance of seamen, and would be a- contribution to a scheme of Empire detemso which they might be proud to tender.

Tho Admiralty replied that the naval agreement should l>o fiist cancelled before consideration was given to the new scheme, of which more details were required. Mr Dcnkin believed the scheme outlined would ultimately commend itsolf to the navy. In a complete sclieme there would lie two submarines each for New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland, and one each for South Australia ami Western Australia and Tasmania. The total annual outlay, when complete, would mean £221,000, including interest. The shore armament, when completed, wotdd oost £312,000, and the Government would devote £50,000 each year till the work waa finished. Tlie necessary guns, he had boon advised, could lie built in Australia.

Numerically the military forces wero absurdly weak. Probably not half of the 22,000 men on the rolls could be depended on as efficient. At the present moment there was abmit- one ainii m 112 with any training. They must greatly enlumce tho forces. Tho Government- proposed a system of universal national training in order to form a national guard of defence, during which every young man in the Commonwealth would bo required to serve in his nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first yeans. For military training he would have to spend 18 days each year in the field. He believed that within three years they would have a force capable of defending the country. In the eighth year there would be 214,000 men. With arms and ammunition, and the equipment of artil-

lery and cavalry, the cost was estimated at £250,000. An additional £20,000 a year would be devoted to cadets, and £10,000 to ritle clubs. LONDON, December 14. (Received December 15 at 5.4 p.m.) The Daily Chroniclo says that Australia is in no mood to do things by halves. Mr Deakin's defence scheme, like the new tariff ami the new protection .schemes, is large and comprehensive.