BRITAIN’S NAVAL POLICY

Otago Witness, Issue 3743, 8 December 1925, Page 34

BRITAIN’S NAVAL POLICY

EARL JELLICOES APPEAL. LONDON, December 1. In an article in Brassey’s Navy Annual Earl Jellicoe calls the attention of the jpeople of the Empire to the urgent need of co-operation —first, in deciding upon, [and, secondly, in carrying out the naval policy. ' Lord Jellicoe says that heavy taxation, [the serious decrease in trade, and the maintenance of numerous unemployed have [seriously crippled the finances of the Mother Land, and there is little doubt that, if more help is not forthcoming from the dominions, the Navy will slowly but surely become inadequate for its work. He appeals to the dominions to face the situation and to assist the Mother Land, each portion of the Empire sharing the burden proportionately to its xipulation. Lord Jellicoe, assuming that for the lext few years £69,0G0,000 annually will >e needed for the Imperial Navy, suggests that Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa’s white populaions should contribute in kind at the rate of 17s per head, the figures workng out at Australia £4,800,000, New Zealand £850,000, Canada £7,200,000, South Africa £850,000, and India £850,000. | He contends that for these sums the lominions could maintain at a later date, he following approximate naval strength md simultaneously a building pro-p-amine : Australia, three 10,000-ton cruisers in full commission and one similar cruiser in reserve, one aircraft carrier in full commission, and auxiliary patrol vessels. New Zealand, two D class light cruisers in full commission and one in reserve. Canada could afford to extend the programme to an amount even exceeding considerably the Australian naval forces, and would doubtless provide one or two additional cruisers, six to ‘nine submarines, possibly an aircraft carrier or ' naval airships. ( South Africa would probably maintain two 10-000-ton cruisers or three smaller vessels.—Reuter, smaller vessels. SUPPORTED BY ADMIRALTY. LONDON, December 3. It is stated that the Admiralty does not regard unfavourably Earl Jellicoe’s scheme for an Empire Navy, it being the outcome of first-hand observations during his residence in New Zealand. It is pointed out that the Admiralty is satisfied to get ships, men, and money, regardless of where they come from—that is the politicians’ job. It is confidently expected, in well-informed circles, that some scheme of disarmament will shortly be evolved, thus removing the necessity for a scheme such as Earl Jellicoe s. By a coincidence Earl Jellicoe’s scheme was published simultaneously with the Navy League’s inauguration of a campaign drawing the attention of the public to the fact that Britain to-day has not a one Power standard of naval strength.

Ihe league is circulating thousands of leaflets pointing out that whiie Britain possesses, like America, 22 capital ships, Britain’s cruisers are out of date and only eight have been constructed since 1918, compared with America’s 10 and Japan’s Id,, and also that Britain has only 63 submarines compared with America's 123. Oi destroyers Britain lias only 152, and America 293. The Navy League supports Earl Jellicoe’s scheme, but the question of dominion contributions will provide a diffi Culty which has wrecked many previous schemes for an Empire Navy. The allocation of contributions is a political question for the dominion Parliaments, and it is regarded in diplomatic circles in London that the time is not yet ripe for that. Well-informed persons believe that they can accurately forecast the dominions’ attitude towards Earl Jellicoe's scheme without waiting for an official declaration. They sav that Canada would unanimously reject the scheme. New Zealand would warmly support it. South Africa would protest that she was not able to afford it, while it is recognised that Australia is already doing her bit; but all are agreed that the Empire’s naval defence policy should be urgently considered. The Daily Telegraph, in an editorial, endorses Earl Jellicoe’s plea for closer and more effective co-operation in the Empire in naval defence. , It emphasises that his plea embodies the experiences of a world tour after war and as GovernorGeneral of New Zealand. FEELING IN CANADA. OTTAWA, December 1. Apropos of the suggestion of Earl Jellicoe that Canada should, in addition to other material assistance, contribute 36,000,000 dollars a year towards the cost of the Imperial Navy, the records here show' that the appropriation made by Parliament last session for the upkeep of the Canadian Navy during the present year was 1,400,000 dollars. A similar sum was appropriated for the same purpose in the fiscal year 1924-25. “We have had no request of any kind from the British Admiralty for any such contribution or any suggestion of it,” said Mr E. M. MacDonald (Minister of National Defence), commenting on the suggestion. SIR R. HEATON RHODES’S COMMENTS. WELLINGTON, December 5. Interviewed to-day as to his opinion of Earl Jellicoe’s proposal, the Minister o* Defence ithc Hon. Sir R. Heaton Rhodes) consented to give what was purely his own personal opinion. The general question of our future policy in regard to naval expenditure must, he said, be left to the decision of the Cabinet. Sir R. Heaton Rhodes said he was very pleased New Zealand would now have a second cruiser, and he looked forward to the day when the Dominion would be able to maintain a third cruiser. “We would then have a valuable unit under a rear-admiral,” remarked the Minister. “At present, of course, cruisers are no doubt a most valuable form of defence, both of our coasts and of our, trad© routes. We do not know, however, what developments will take place in the future in regard to air defence, and wc may have to increase our expenditure in respect to both seaplane and aeroplane services.” The Minister referred to the fact that m 1923 a sum of £IOO,OOO was put on the Estimates as a contribution towards the cost of the Singapore base, but owing to the Ramsay MacDonald Government abandoning that scheme the money was never expended. New Zealand, so far, had contributed nothing towards the Singapore scheme, and it depended on the policy to bo folio - ved by the Home Government whether we would be asked to share in the • COJt.

“The day may come when we will have to provide for larger cruisers than those we have, and this will entail increasing our docking accommodation,” added the Minister, “but that is a matter for the future, qnd for the present we are not looking forward to any expenditure of that kind.”