From Otago Daily Times.

Otago Witness, Issue 2200, 30 April 1896, Page 3

From Otago Daily Times.

"ONE QUEEN, ONE FLAG ONE FLEET."

A series of very striking articles has appeared in the Daily Graphic under the title " One Queen, One Flag^jQ^ Fleet," and over sth3-'~'slgnature5 th3-'~'slgnature " Splendid J^oltttibn." Though we cannot t-fe more than guess at the -—identity of the writer, it is evident that he is not only well informed, but that he speaks with some authority. The object of the letters, which are four in number, is to lay down the outlines of a comprehensive plan for enabling and encouraging the selfgoverning colonies, and others if they think fit, to actively participate in the defence of their common inheritance, and the writer discusses the question in its military, its naval, and its financial aspect. It may at once be v said that he discusses these aspects with an originality and boldness that claim attention, even thoiigh we may not agree with his deductions. The 'writer i>egins by saying that there are j 40,000,000 people at Home. There I are 10,000,000 in the self-governing colonies, and a couple of millions in the colonies that are not self-governing ; •and in India, outside these 52,000,000, there are 350,000,000 who owe allegiance to the British flag. He points out that half the shipping and carrying trade, and probably half the wealth, of the world belong to this people," who v constitute more than onethird of the entire population of the «rorld. Then he alleges that, with certain trivial exceptions, the whole responsibility and expense of providing for the systematic defence of this tinge inheritance fall npon and are Jborne by the 40,000,000 inhabiting the United Kingdom, He does not overlook til* fact that India and tlw eel£-

governing colonies maintain defensive j forces of their own, but he points out < that these forces are primarily local and 1 not Imperial in their character and i objects. His contention is that there is j no existing organised union for Imperial i defence, and he contrasts this crude, i unready condition "with the perfect ] organisation of the nations round about, ■ To concentrate these isolated members the "writer would utilise the patriotic < feelings revealed by recent events, and : he boldly affirms that in Mr Chamber- ' lain the man has come who can rise to the occasion and initiate the project. Dealing first with the navy, he suggests that there should be one fleet. i It; is not necessarily meant that all the ships shall always remain together in a body", but that the naval strength of the Empire should be regarded as a whole, just as, to use his own illustration, the police force of a country is. And he would abolish the existing restrictions that hedge round the admission of colonial officers and mci to the naval service. On the contrary, he would confer an honourable distinction upon every colonial by 1 permitting him to wear as a badge the | emblem of his colony. He would also ! establish colonial training ships, from which the marine might be fed. In connection with this he would establish naval militia for the defence of the coasts and ports, such militia to be officered from the retired ranks of the navy, preference being given by each colony to its' own children. He also suggests that there should be appointed a Colonial Lord of the Admiralty, whose duty it would be to look after the interests of all the colonies, being nominated- by each in turn. With respect to the military aspect of the question, " Splendid Isolation " suggests the formation of a colonial army corps. He thinks that as the United Kingdom . furnishes to the regular ara^i'Mut 55,000 men to every 10,000^000 of inhabit^s, "besides about 110,000 to the reserves, militia, yeomanry, and volunteers, there would be no difficulty in raising a corps of 25,000 men among the 10,000,000 or so of colonial inhabitants. The duty of this corps would be primarily to defend the colonies and British possessions, but it should be available for service anywhere. This force would be officered and manned exclusively by colonials. It would be so arranged by a system of " linked " battalions that one half of it should be constantly on Imperial service, and the term of service might be three or four years. It is put forward as extremely likely that colonial young men would eagerly volunteer in order to see the world. The corps would be distinctively uniformed, and its members would wear appropriate badges as well as those of the navy. But who is to pay for all this, assuming that patriotism responds to the call ? It is in answer to this natural question that " Splendid Isolation " makes a most original suggestion. He estimates the cost of his project at a • little over iG2,000,000 a year. He \ points out that the total amount of . colonial indebtedness to Great Britain i is somewhere about £470,000,000. i The annual interest on this amounts, ■ roughly, to £16,450,000, or at the rate ( of about •3| per cent. He suggests i that the United Kingdom take over the i whole of the debts on condition that ■ the colonies join in the scheme of j Imperial defence and guarantee to pay 5 3 per cent, interest on their debt. > This, he says, would save the colonies - £2,350,000 per annum, in interest, . gjMek sum. tfe^ could devote to (be

maintenance of their share of Imperial defence. There is something of Cap- ' tain Bobadil's method of defeating an army about the Suggestion, and we are afraid the writer has not made himself sufficiently acquainted with colonial finance ere making his proposal. If he had done so he would have known that it is not likely that the colonies will incidentally bind themselves to the continued payment of 3| per cent, in face of the ever falling value of money. The federation of the Australian colonies, however, would make the discussion of the financial — indeed, of the whole — question much easier. The letters were thought of sufficient importance to submit to the Oommander-in-Ohief (Lord Wolselby) for his opinion. He characterised the idea as a splendid one, and one that would help to bring about the kind of federation he had advocated for years. But he saw difficulties that had not occurred to " Splendid Isolation." The chief one was, in Lord Wolsjbik^s opinion, that the men would not come forward. He, thinks itf would be difficult to induce settlers to leave their properties and mechanics and labourers their well-paid callings to serve with the colours. He quotes in support of his opinion what happened when an [ attempt was' made to form one ! Canadian regiment for the regular army. It failed, and the regiment, intended to be known aa the " Royal Canadians," was recruited mainly from Liverpool, which gave it the characteristic that rendered appropriate its present title — "The Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment." Besides this initial objection, Lord Woi/Semby. mak«s no other. He admires the scheme although he doubtsits practicability, while^.^-fhoroughly appreciates ths' Trelding effect that Xh^ak arise from the quartering of colonial troops in the United Kingdom. We hardly care to express an opinion off-hand upon either the feasibility or practicability of the scheme. We believe the men could be found easily enough in the colonies for such short service as three or four years, but we also believe that the colonial authorities would object to the initiation of a colonial standing army. But nevertheless "Splendid Isolation" has mooted a subject that is worthy of deep reflection.