AUSTRALIA REMODELLING DEFENCE SYSTEM.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VII, Issue 2051, 10 September 1920, Page 7

AUSTRALIA REMODELLING DEFENCE SYSTEM.

PREFERENCE TO BE GIVEN TO LIGHT TYPE OF VESSEL. ("Received September 10, 11 a.m.) MELBOURNE* September 10. ' The Rt. Hon. W. M. Hughes, outlining the Australian defence policy in the House of Representatives, said that the White Australia policy, which was of vital importance to the nation, might be a source of complications. The Government was placing £500,000 on the Estimates for military aviation, and £IOO,OOO for civil aviation. The naval and military expenditure would be considerably reduced, and preference given to the lighter type of vessel. An amendment of the Defence Act was contemplated in the direction of altering the.basis of compulsory training. The expenditure for 1920-21 would be: —i £ Naval expenditure .. .. 3,959,000 Military expenditure .. 3,250,000 v Aviation 600,000 Total £7,809,000 Total in 1913-1914 .. £4,645,000 Mr Hughes stated that a scheme of Imperial defence was being formulated, as a result of the deliberations between the representatives of Great Britain and of the Overseas Dominions, and, until an agreement w r as reached, the proposals of the Ministry must be regarded as tentative. He hoped that at the coming Imperial Conference on defence, a scheme would be completed for co-operation among all the Dominions, and a real Imperial defence policy formulated for the first time. He strongly stressed the responsibility on the Dominions of taking their share in Empire defence. As part of the Empire they must bear a part of its protection. The centre of gravity had now shifted to the Pacific, the islands of which had been distributed among the Powers. Considerations of safety required Australia to take cognisance of her geographical position under these new conditions.