DEFENCE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 582, 27 May 1909, Page 4

DEFENCE.

STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. WELLINGTON, May -25. 'Asked as to the date Parliament assembles and as to what course would bo taken to determine whether he would attend the Naval Conference in London, the Prime Minister this oveuinrr made an important statement. Sir J. G. Ward said “ Parliament now stands prorogued until the 10th Juno, and in New Zealand no power exists to eatable the Governor when a day has been so fixed to call Parliament together for any earlier date, no matter how pressing the urgency or how great the crisis. In England a special statutory power was long since given to the King to summon Parliament at any time on six days’ notice, notwithstanding that he had previously fixed by proclamation a later date for its meeting. (Unfortunately, in Now Zealand no such statutory provision exists, with the result I have just stated. Where, therefore, matters of urgent importance arise requiring the Government to ascertain the will of Parliament, the only course open is the one which I believe has been taken on several occasions in English-speaping countries, namely, of asking the members of Parliament to informally meet and discuss the urgent matters which have arisen, and so express their opinion and their will to the Government of the day. “ Since His Excellency fixed the 10th

Juno next, matters of the greatest importance have arisen in connection with the naval defence of the Empire. It is not necessary that I should outline what has taken place because the cables from England have already disclosed the situation very fully. The outcome of the situation, however, has been the convening by the Impe rial Government by a conference of representatives of British golf-governing dominions to meet in London for the purpose of conferring with the Imperial authorities there, and arriving at some more satisfactory basis of Imperial Naval Defence than now exists. To this conference I have been invited by an invitation conveyed 'through His Excellency the Governor, in terms so cordial ami urgent as to induce me to think that my attendance will bo viewed by the members of both Houses of Parliament, not only as a matter to be considered independently of party, but as one amounting al, most to a duly on my part. I cannot however, accept the. invitation without the approval of Parliament. The conference has been postponed to enable me to be present, but it has been found impossible to defer it to a date later than the lasi week in July. It

is obvious to enablu me to attend, I must Ire prepared to leave New Zealand about the middle of June. It is clear that, assuming Parliament meets for the despatch of business on the 10th June, the earliest date on which it can moat, the preliminaries which this session must precede the consideration of public business, would delay my ascertaining the will of Parliament too long to make it possible

for me to leave at the time. I have indicated. -Under these circumstances I am confronted by two alternatives, cither that of abandoning the proposal and at once declining the urgent invitation I have received, or of adop-

ting the expedient I have above referred to, namely, of informally meeting the memlxM's of both Houses on an earlier date than that now fixed for the assembling of Parliament, thus in eject enabling me to ascertain (lie will of Parliament upon this important question.

" After anxious deliberation 1 have decided that i(, is my plain duty to t;ive the iiicnvljors an opportunity oi Considering (he question, and tin; only practical method of doing is tin: one lam now adopting. | ain .satisfied that whether Parliament approves or not of my proceeding to England, its members must approve of my* giving thftm an opportunity of expressing their -will ujion this (jiiestion of s'i° prome importance. It is impossible to anticipate the momentous issues which may arise from this conference. It has already been referred to by a loading English statesman as an epochmaldng event. The prudence of New Zealand being represented by its Prime Minister will, I think', be recognised, when it is romembpred that <)U(\s(jons of groat and far-rcachiag importance avill arise for oonsideration and determination. Ihe importance of tlie conference and the necessity for representation, as it has been seen by all the self-governing parts of the Hnirsh Dominion®, and 1 am informed tno\ have to sand ivpivsnntalives. Mile ■warm and almost universal approval of our proposed assistance to tho -Motherlaiul has received from members of both sides of the House allows what one might have expected. namely, that the defence of the r.uipire, and parlienlarlv that most important branch of it, naval defence, !* Wtx ' (l a,|, P Vl ’ P'l'-'y polities ami part,. m(mvsts into a feeljng (1 f a Hnit ,,,| itesire to strengthen thu hands of the '•■"‘Pire against her enemies, and draw closer thu bonds that unite i| ‘lt has been sngg (N sp,| (hat f might looecd to England and |,avo Parliament („ con tin mi i(s . Mor k. | am clearly of opinion that this would be IV;;' n,v , (| "iy. -s Mil,- m,,| t; , tl„. 1,,,! Jmment itself. This \vj 1) be the first *' , ' sS ';>n " f T'nrliamen,. am | lt 1 ,S ‘ l,, ’ 1 ohv,ol '« t*> anv fair-minded U ’ rs, ’ n lim( <!« l-ader of Iho t lover.,|I'CU( must this session l r „ in Ids plane m the louse Any proposal, 11,111 '“W* "lust. dismiss,) at ,mV " aS 1 not entertain." . ... DUNEDIN, Mav 2b. A publm meeting was held to night to. ad' ei'afr national military training and was laigvlv attended - " T 'tv Messrs R.‘ Mr Nab nn ;! J "«- Alhm. M.P., clronejv advocatnig c'nnp.dsory (raining, ' a „d it • , ' " *•' n erwhelniing major,y "'-sten, of national'defme w,ll |». ade nn( |u o \ universal militate , f r., irii n■ > A" amendment which aimed a( ~p |, (l "" 1,1 '"crease in tie- milbarv ••xpense was supported |,v a mu few I'ofeons.

OBJECT OE THE CONFERENCE, LONDON, May 25. At the Chamber of Commerce banquet, the Earl of Crewe dwelt on the importance of the immigration discussion at the Sydney Conference. He warned the Conference that no good could result from mixing commercial relations with imperial defence. Each question mutt be decided on its own merits. The object of the DeEcneo Conference would be to combine Imperial defence on land and sea \\ith the utmost flexibility for each part of the Empire in regard to individual defence.

NEW ZEALAND’S OFFER. LONDON, May 2-1. Mr Chamberlain, in a special -letter dealing with Empire Day, says Our groat aggregations o£ humanity are sealing a new bond whereby they will follow the same interest and umleft the same Hag. This must of necessity commence with defence and commercial: union will probably precede political unions. New' Zealand’s offer, which was received somewhat ungraciously; by the Government, is a new feature equivalent to a contribution of £80,000,000 from Britain. It is not only munificent in itself, but shows the price the Dominion places on the maintenance of the present standard of naval defence. Henceforth 11,000,000 Britishers overseas must be considered with ourseldos. This feature of British developwill involve an entire change in our public life and its objects to the lower portions.”

A,N ADMIRAL’S VIEWS, SYDNEY, May 21. Tlie Admiral of the station, speaking at the Royal Exchange, said that a year ago Britain held unchallenged the p»oud title of mistress o‘f the seas. She held that title still, but jnot anchallenged’. They were brought face to face with the ’fact that under certain conditions the peaceful command of the seas may be endangered. They must strain every nerve and gladly make any sacrifice so that Britain s command of the." sea eluill Ijo recognised as absolute. Germany bad reached the point of being able to build its speedily ns Britain ; that in three -years from now she would have, an equal, if not a superior force of the last type of battleships ready for sea. A triple alliance existed'-Genmiuy was a power in the northern seas, Austria and Italy in the Mediterranean, and both the latter powers were building Dreadnoughts. Any disaster to the British fleet in the .North Sen or the C'hannel would imperil the safety of the Empire. This fact held equally good in the Mediterranean. In either ease the routes to the Fast and to Australia mast bl Pul. lie did not speak as 'an alarmist or a pessimist ; he simply put forth his opinion as a naval ofiieer speaking on his own responsibility. They had looked a grate crisis in the fare in the past, and the race was never at its best until faced with an emergency. Why this state of Urines which threatened our existence as an empire should suddenly be brought to pass was a matter difficult to understand. If there were two races in (he world which should march side by side Urey wore (he British and leutonie races. Both were mercantile in (heir mstinel, | l() (,|i haste for worldwhV experience. both aim for the

-settlement of a great population "'hose instincts and feelings were almost identical. Consider the capital invested in the world’s a flairs by llip i’riti.sh and Teutonic races : should either fad it would be a -world-wide financial catastrophe. Consider what a power for good would ensue from lilt two races meeting in commercial rivalry only. Instead of this peaceful competition there unfortunately exists at present, nn extraordinary and acute military antagonism, for which he eon-d not but think there had boon c.veases on both sides. The present crisis mast Ire met by co-oj>eration of tile Mother ( oiinti'y and the colonies. in the naval scheme put forward Austialm should resolve (o meet a danger which was common to all parts of the Empire. 'I he Dreadnought movement showed the keen appreciation (hat, what was first and foremost was (lie necessity for command of the sea. 1 lie scheme to provide a torpedo flotilla would be a great advantage in the defence of Australian ports, or as an auxiliary to the main Heels if ever engaged in these waters, but (he (pie de.ene ■ of Australia lay in (he eapaeily of the main Heels of the Empire to overpower the mail! Heels of (he eneniv. Whatever (he form of naval defenc", for local purposes, j(. m ust be under Imperial control • (he personnel must be (rained by Imperial ollieer.s y and there must be a constant How of ofliecrs and men from Australia .. r otherwise, passing from Hu- great naval manoeuvre grounds, Tla-iv could

be no divided control. Naval defence could only be one He,.l one Hag. 'ldle third scheme of the Australian na v v was one (hat this was n,.| the tim to 1 1 iseuss, |f Australia could build (if teen Dreadnoughts or their equivalent in the next five years for duly in the DaeiHe. and equip tlcm. well and good, but the period with which tlew- w.-re eo 11 ee I'l led Was 1 1 1. ■ ||e\l (hi! Ve.U-i. I hey must ant now. and that word “ now " must be spell. i n capital letters ll (hey were united and realised it, they Would in the end (add their own if not united, or eon|,. M ( matters drill, each of them would be more or levs .-••-sponsible should di-a ter oei-ia .