NAVAL DEFENCE

Southland Times, Issue 17609, 25 March 1914, Page 5

NAVAL DEFENCE

MR CHURCHILL'S POLICT, UNAFFECTED BY DOMINION. PROTESTS. DISINCLINATION FOR A CONFE'fV EXCE. (Times and Sydney Sun Services.) LONDON. March 23. The Admiralty is wedded to the polled recently promulgated by Mr Churchill (First Lortl of the Admiralty), and is unaffected by dominion protests. . It Is still hopeful that Australia, Canada, and New- Zealand will contribute battleships towards the formation of an Imperial fleet to patrol the Empire. It does not display any inclination t<J convene a Naval Conference because it is entirely absorbed in the Ulster crisis, while it is not disposed to negotiate further with the dominions seeing that a. general eleetion is not far ahead and will possibly alter the position of parties, FEELING IN GERMANY. BERLIN. March 2*. The German papers have received th* British naval construction programme with placidity, but several strongly comment on the prospects of an armed trading fleet, averring that it will brine back international piracy. CANADA’S POSITION. OTTAWA. March 29. ' There is no prospect of adequate naval action until the Ministry obtains controt of (be Senate. AUSTRALASIA'S DISSATISFACTION. MR MASSEY’S UTTERANCE. By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright, SYDNEY. March 24. Tlie Sydney Morning Herald in a leading article says, "The outspoken utterance of Mr W. F. Massey must now convince Mr Churchill that ills recent statement regarding the vital problem of Imperial naval defence in the Pacific is met with serious dissatisfaction in both the Commonwealth and New Zealand, the two dominions which so far have attemp- , ted to make effectual naval provisions. Complete co - operation in( training and other matters is desirable between New Zealand and the Commonwealth in view of the economy of effective action in wartime.”