THE EMPIRE'S DEFENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 306, 19 May 1913, Page 5

THE EMPIRE'S DEFENCE.

TERRITORIALISM. ARMED MERCHANTMEN. By Cable —Press Association—Copyright. Received 18, 5.5 p.m. London; May 18. Mr. P. D. Acland, Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, speaking at Northallerton, blamed the National Service League for the deficiency of the Territorials. Compulsion,' if adopted, would cost an additional 3d on the income tax. The Manchester Guardian says that Mr. Winston Churchill's army of merchantmen threatens- a revival of privateering, which is a bad method of countering the foreign volunteer fleets. Mr. Churchill's armed merchantmen only differ from privateers by using guns in selfdefence and not for attack. The distinction is not easilv drawn. Moreover, many ports prohibit docking with explosives aboard. The new policy has shown that the Admiralty is seriously worried bv the problem of protecting merchant shipping and tacitly admits that the fleet cannot discharge its first duty. He is now suggesting that they should stake their existence in wartime upon the efficiencv of gunnery on the merchantmen. Tt would be much better to extend the Declaration of Paris in order to obtain complete immunity from the capture of seaborne commerce, except contraband. Tn anv case the arming of | merchantmen ought to be publicly dis--1 cussed.