ONE EMPIRE NAVY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 16121, 9 May 1923, Page 4

ONE EMPIRE NAVY.

CENTRALISED CONTROL

PLAN TO POOL RESOURCES.

REPORT IN AUSTRALIA

LONDON, April 2o.—A fleet for the British Commonwealth, under centralised control, but distributed over the Seven Seas,- and maintained proportionately to population by the Dominions, is a proposal, the Sydney Sun learns, that will come before the Imperial Coilfereuco this year. The representative of the news-paper-has the information from a reliable source .that the Dominions ’ representatives at the Imperial Conference,- will be asked to approve the scheme, which virtually abolishes the Australian Navy as an independent force. The idea is to form a gigantic Imperial naval “pool,” to -which the Dominions will contribute financially in proportion to population. Tho “pool” will be utilised to maintain under a central control a number of self-contained fleets, stationed all over the ‘-.Empire, .. . The Australian Navy and those of the other Dominions will retain their idontity in their own waters. A certain quota of ships will bo included in an Imperial Pacific

— ■ - *, ... licet, the main base of which will probably be- Singapore. 'fho scheme is designed to enable tho uttVv to be maintained at a higher state of efficiency, the Dominions benefiting by receiving, as thoy arc evolved, the -latest types of capital ships, aircraft carriers, destroyers, submarines, and monitors, in common with’, the Homo, Mediterranean, and Atlantic squadrons. The “pool" also is designed financially: to-relievo British taxpayers, who mow contribute &58,000,000 an-

niidlly to the navy, a sum which is regarded,as excessive and inequitable. It is believed that tho Admiralty has already despatched a carefully-drawn-up proposal to Australia, ana anticipates counter-suggestions which Trill,'. be thoroughly thrashed out before the conference assembles, thus enabling the delegates to come prepared with a well-defined and mutually acceptable scheme. The whole question apparently lias, been -orecipitated by the costly scheme for Singapore, which economists in high quarters , rigorously oppose, do-

daring that it is undisguisedly designed to protect Australia against a Japanese attack, which strategists regard as unthinkable as long as Singapore remains to harass communication. . The British Navy alone would at present bear the first shock of a Pacific invasion, the success or failure of Avhich would depend on the inviolability of Singapore. The Sydney Sun learns tljat the

greatest difficulty facing the Admiralty is; that of placing its views before the Australian Government without- offence. It realises that it is a delicate-matter to deal with politicians ■who have-a reputation of hyper-sen-siliveness; nevertheless, it is thought that Australians will not care to stand idly by and Watch Britain doing their police work without contributing to the -COBt. , u-