NATIONAL DEFENCE

Southland Times, Issue 17608, 24 March 1914, Page 2

NATIONAL DEFENCE

* A NEW ZEALAND VIEW. IMPORTANT STATEMENT ITY PRIME MINISTER. (Per United b-r-egs Association.) GREYMOUTH. March 2t». In speaking at Greymouth to-night tet a remarkably large and enthusiastic crowd of. 1500 people, the Prime Minister made an important statement upon naval defence in connection with the speech made by Mr Churchill in the House oC Commons upon the Naval Estimates. Mr Churchill, in his statement, as cabled, had statedf said Air Massey, that the alliance between England and Japan had secured the safety of Australia and New Zealand. "A statement like that.” commented Mr Massey, "does’nt appeal to me. It is ambiguous, and I do not quite know what it means. I don't want to> do Mr Churchill an injustice, but if be means that the people of Australia and New Zealand (for the latter of whom I am speaking) are to be satisfied with the protection afforded by Japanese ships and Japanese sailors, then Mr Winston .Churchill is very mud) mistaken. 1 do not believe for one moment that the Anglo - Japanese Alliance lias secured 1 the safety of either Australia or New Zealand. 1 do not think so for one moment, and it is just as well for Mr Churchill to know that.” This statement was made in the course of a recital of the negotiations upon the subject of naval defence which had taken, place between New Zealand and the Imperial Parliament. Mr Massey outlined all that bad been done down to the point whet e the New Zealand Government said if tiic the English Government was unabln to follow out its agreement and supply New Zealand with two Bristol cruisers, then New Zealand would build one for herself, "Great Britain had said she was unable to do this, and that is still the position at the -moment.” said Mr Massey. “We therefore intend," lie continued. “to ask Parliament at the earliest possible moment to authorise the building of a Bristol cruiser to protect our harbours and trade routes.— (Applause.) The cost of tlie cruiser would be £4OO, Onn. and the upkeep might be about £OO,OOO, but. not more. This would be the outside limit for the cost of the cruiser to New Zealand in spite of many wild statements made to the contrary. Tlie £50.000 of Imperial subsidy of £IOO.000, which remained after the allowance of £50,000 for the training ship, would he applied, and the extra cost to New Zealand would be ■ only £40,000 a year. Sir Joseph Ward asserted the Government's proposal would lead to extravagant expenditure, but lie (Sir Joseph) it ad in London proposed ttiat the colonies should be taxed 10s a head for naval dependence. That would mean £525,000 a year for New Zealand, and tlie people could see which was tlie more extravagant. He (Mr Massey) believed that the best policy was for the dominion to prepare its own ships. The time would come when the Pacific would be a storm centre, and the Anglo-Saxons w'ould have to fight as their forefathers had. Australia was preparing, and Canada and South Africa would also have to do it. At any rate New Zealand must look forward to the time when there would be a British Navy in the Pacific ready to cope with any foe that came along.”—(Loud applause.)