THE PACIFIC.

Otago Witness, Issue 3414, 20 August 1919, Page 18

THE PACIFIC.

IMPERIAL NAVAL POLICY. FLEETS FOR THE DOMINIONS LORD JELLICOE'S VISIT. NEW ZEALAND'S POSITION. LONDON, August 16. Speaking at a luncheon to Senator Pearce, General Monash, General Rosenthal, Mr Heitmann, M.H.R., and Archbishop Riley on the eve of their return home, Colonel St. L. Amery, Under-secretary for the Colonies, . eulogised citizens' soldiery, -which was largely attributable to British immigration.. The more the dominions were strengthened by migration the more the Empire would be militarily strengthened. Similarly each emigrant to the do- . minions was 20 times more valuable to Britain economically than an emigrant to America. The migration of ex-service men to the dominions would increase the population of the outer empire which was important from the point of view of defence. % Australia was alongside the teeming millions- of Asia, and was conjointly responsible with Canada and South Africa for the defence of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It would be impossible to defend the Empire apart from Britain. The future command of the seas required an Imperial naval system, with fully equipped bases, including shipbuilding docks, on every ocean. Australia, Canada, South Africa, and other parts of the Empire should be each capable of building and manning its own fleet. We want a substitute for the present system of Imperial defence, with its immense preponderance at one point. The new system must consist of a defensive chain, of which each link would primarily be equipped to sustain its own defence. We had politically passed beyond the time when Imperial unity was achievable by centralisation. The true conception of empire implied decentralisation and the creation of a chain of States round the world, and each State would be entitled to regard itself as the centre of the whole from the point of view of duties and responsibilities. Senator Pearce, Australian Defence Minister, assuming that Colonel Amery was speaking on behalf .of Cabinet, regarded the speech as of Imperial importance. A high naval authority, interviewed, said that although Lord was visiting all the dominions in an advisory capacity his recommendations of the amount of sea-power it would be necessary for Britain to maintain in future eastward of Suez would be of paramount importance, because the Admiralty regards this region as the next danger zone, • although no itrouble is anticipated perhaps for a few

years. Therefore the much sooner are naval forces likely to be stationed in Australian and New Zealand waters. Jellicoe is known to favour local dominion naval units, and his advice is particularly helpful to the New Zealand Government, who must consider the maximum burden and expense New Zealand is able to bear. The Admiralty's policy will probably be to supplement dominion forces with the ships necessary to ensure Empire security in accordance with Lord Jellicoe's report. Lord Jellicoe, says this authority, probably will suggest the formation of an Indian naval unit, with a proportion of native officers and men, thus establishing a great Pacific fleet, consisting of Indian, South African, Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian units, capable of operating under a single command. Lord Jellicoe also will recommend the creation of a permanent Imperial Naval Board, on which will be representatives of each dominion, sitting in London and dealing with all naval operations. The board will periodically visit the dominions, and sit with each local naval board at Melbourne and Wellington to consider the details of Australian and New Zealand defence. Lord Jellicoe's visit will probably result in the provision of a much greater naval force by Canada to protect her long coast lines. It is anticipated that Lord Jellicoe will favour a greater interchange of officers between the Home and dominion fleets. NEW ZEALAND'S REQUIREMENTS. THE ADMIRALTY OEFER. LONDON, August 13. The Admiralty is awaiting the New Zealand Government's decision regarding naval requirements. The Admiralty at first offered New Zealand a modern light cruiser of the Canterbury class as a training ship, but she was deemed unsuitable because of burning oil fuel. The Admiralty next offered a cruiser of the Liverpool type, whose maintenance would be costly. The position now is that New Zealand can have whatever number and class of ships the Government may decide as requisite to meet the dominion's demands. AMERICA'S PACIFIC FLEET. PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE. LONDON, August 17. The Times, in a leader, says that the passage of 200 ships of the American fleet through the Panama Canal in 10 hours, in order to take up their future headquarters at San Francisco, is one of the landmarks of the world's history. It abolishes the old conception of the Pacific's isolation. It is a question whether Britain's ideas have yet adjusted to the new outlook. Few even realise that the Pacific throws the life of Africa and •Canada into actual conflict with the Far East, and links their interests with Australia's, and makes the scattered islands most valuable strategically and com-

mercially. The British Empire is certain to benefit, especially by the immense changes resulting from direct communication between the Atlantic and the Pacific. It maybe hoped that the Admiralty, aided by Lord Jellicoe, will soon work out the new plans needed in the immediate future. STATEMENT BY MR DANIELS. NEW YORK, August 11. Mr Josephns Daniels, Secretary to the Navy, in welcoming the Pacific fleet's arrival a'fc Los Angeles,' said: "It is intended to constitute a permanent defence of . the Pacific Coast against probable aggression by any foreign foe."