THE COLONIAL NAVIES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 32, 1 August 1911, Page 5

THE COLONIAL NAVIES

AND THE MOTHERLAND. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Received 31, 10 p.m. London, July 31. The Times states that the naval memorandum containing particulars of this agreement between Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, is a well conceived and eminently practical solution of a difficult problem of bring-' ing the three naval forces into close organic relations. IMPERIAL NAVAL CO-OPERATION IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT. In a speech at'Pontypool, Wales, on June 13, Mr. McKenna, First Lord of the Admiralty, said he was happy to say that the naval arrangements -made with the Dominions were most satisfactory. Two yeais ago the spontaneous offer of .assistance had come from, the Dominions, •and at the Naval Conference of 1909 the principles were discussed upon which this assistance might best 'be developed. Each of the Dominions would contribute in the fashion most appropriate to its resources and its internal public opinion to the strength of the Empire. "Soone would do it by direct contribution to the power of the British Fleet, either by •annual payment or by the gif-t ; of ships, 'or both ; others by the- develrnvment of fleet® of their own, In the totter case there' would be interdhangeajiility of officers , and men and such, common standards of training and discipline as toensure, in the event of war, that the joint fleet® would be able to act in complete union. The defence of the gigantic oversea trade of the Empire, continued Mr. McKenna, was a, colossal task. This trade traversed the ocean in every part of tile globe. Great as was the British trade, that of the. Dominions in proportion to the population was not less important, and the people of this family of nations had a common interest and care in its protection. The statesmen of the Dominions had joined with the Government in, providing and maintaining the necessary means of defence, and while there was to be no interference with tihe autonomy of each member of the Empire, the foundations had been laid of a naval 1 strength which, if combined in war, would safeguard Imperial interests in every part of the globe. , THE IDEAL IN WARFARE. Commenting on this the London Times said:— • "It is, as we have said, impossible to exaggerate the importance of this announcement. ... In point of fact, it may be taken ja® an axiom, established by ..the whole course of naval history, that efficiency in naval warfare depend® above all things on -those moral and personal factors which make no Bhow at all in a merely material comparison of strength, but which count for everything or for nearly everything on the -day- oi battle—on sound and ingrained conceptions of the strategy and tactics that make for victory, on- clear-headed direction and undivided command, on uniform standards of braining and discipline t on continuity of inspiring tradition and ooflj- : ,-mon loyalty to» its inspiration, arid finnily on the spontaneous and almost automatic harmony that is engendered by all | these agencies between the mind of the commander-in-chief and the minds of his I subordinate officers. 'I had the hap-' piness to command a band of brothers,' said Nelson after the battle of the Nile. 'As the mode of our abtaek had been previously determined on,' wrote Collincwood in his dispatch describing the ( battle of Trafalgar, -and communicated i to the flag officers and captains, few signals were necessary', and none were made.' That is the ideal to be aimed at by all the children of Nelson. They must all acknowledge the same parentage, whether thev are serving for the moment in the Royal Navy or in the affiliated navies of the Dominions. It is i only so that the ideal of Nelson—the I noblest ideal ever bequeathed to any ! navy— can be fully realised by the Imperial Navy of the future."