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Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 116, 22 June 1914, Page 6

The proposal put forward by the London '' Daily Telegraph" that an lm- ; jcrial'.cruiser squadron should make a voyage round th£ world and convey Colonial politicians -to England via Panama for the Naval Conference next ■vear is one of those fantastic schemes by which a certain class of \* patriot'' boosts imperialism 'in . the . most/ expensive and futile fashion. Probably it

emanated from the brain, of Mr Archi

bald Ilurd, the naval writer for the '' Telegraph,'' who has always advocated a pet scheme of his own for an Imperial Flying Squadron. This squadlou. it is suggested, should be provided l-y the Dominions and the Mother Country jointly, and is to be available for service abroad and in auv part of the world where its presence is required for ] the protection of British commerce. But] it is a project which can never materialise because Australia will not participate in it, nor is it at all probable that Canada will do so. As for the cruise r')und 'the'world via Panama, it would r;o doubt be impressiVe aud spectacular, hut there is nothing about the situation in the Pacific to .justify the expense. 3f would be a costly display of naval force that would serve no useful purpose, while the colonial delegates to the Imperial-Conference wou-ld have a much more comfortable voyage to England in a Jiner. ,