The Sun WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1914. NEW ZEALAND AND THE NAVY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 41, 25 March 1914, Page 6

The Sun WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1914. NEW ZEALAND AND THE NAVY.

•The Admiralty is so completely out of touch'with public opinion in Australia and New Zealand on the naval question that, pending the meeting of the Imperial Conference next year, when representatives of the Commonwealth and the Dominion will have an opportunity of going into the question, nothing is likely to be done in the direc--1 tion of improving the position from the colonial standpoint. The Admiralty has completely broken faith with New Zealand, despite Mr Ch-urchill's ingenious protestations to the contrary. The First Lord, having made up his mind that we are adequately protected by Japan, is determined to mass his forces in European waters, and act on the assumption that it is unnecessary for him to maintain any ships in the Pacific to speak of. In some respects it is rather a good thing. It throws Australia and New Zealand on their own resources, and gives them every inducement to rely upon themselves for their defence. There is a suggestion, however, in a cable this morning that the Admiralty expects the Dominions to make further contributions of battleships . towards "an Imperial Fleet to patrol the Empire." The phrase is a politician's or a newspaper writer's rather than the considered words of a naval expert. We question whether it ever emanated from the Admiralty at- ail. But, even if it represents the view of the Imperial authorities, it will evoke no sympathetic response from this side of the world. This country cannot afford to give away any more Dreadnoughts and get nothing in return but an assurance that its territory and trade are amply protected by the Japanese Alliance. When New Zealand gives a Dreadnought it means that the producers of this eountry have to. send Home two million pounds' worth N of produce to pay for it, and the money goes out of the country never to return. When Britain builds a Dreadnought the process involves raising two millions in taxation from the comparatively well-to-do and distributing the bulk of it in wages to British workers, which is a very different thing. Britain could not maintain a navy, on anything like the present scale but 'for the fact [ that the ships are built in British yards and the Navy is a consumer in the main of the products of British industry. The Government of New "Zealand has two alternatives: Either it can do nothing in the matter of naval defence, and save quite a lot 6i money at the sacrifice of the Dominion's self-respect, or it can develop its more statesmanlike plan of building up a cruiser squadron for the protection of our trade routes. Despite the.cackjle of unthinking persons, who prate about "toy navies" without ever attempting to suggest practicable methods of shouldering a fair share of tlie naval defence burden, the Governnient is proceeding on sound lines. The money spent on the Dreadnought would have built two Bristol cruisers and maintained them for several years. Manned :by New Zealanders, they would have given a great stimulus to patriotism and done much to foster the naval spirit in the Dominion. Still, there no reason why we should not profit by the, inistak.es. of the past.