COLONIAL DEFENCE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3587, 30 March 1886, Page 4

COLONIAL DEFENCE.

(Argus) From the dnys of U\o honest Athenian tradesman who averred t, at thero was nothing 1 k<- ]»■ iHior, clown to our own, tho expert nlw.iy« swears by his craft-. Admiral Tyron is no except inn. First we consulted Sic '.Villmm Jcrvois as to our defences, together With tho lute MiijurGoneral Scratchli-y, and tho verdu-t of these experienced engineers was that thero is nothing like forts and guns. Vessels, said our advisers, may bo sunk or they may be cruising m tho wrong plneo while fVrts cannot run away, and you can pace m them a "smashing" artillery such as no gun-bout can carry. According to this plan ships oan bo dispensed with m ports, and riflemen are only wanted to cover the batteries and protect the artillerymen while they are at work. Next the O'Loghlen Government consulted Commodores Wilson and Krskine, and tho advico of these gallant officers was not to trust to torpedoes and forts, which, they pointed out, can bo dodged, but to put our guns on boats, which can turn up whenever they are wanted— can follow tho enemy everywhere. As to the military officers who have been obtained, their view is that tho Jervois land force is too small, because, as the size of transports has enormously increased of late, an enemy might possibly throw a little army on our shores somewhere. And now Admiral Tyron, with an imperial sweep, points out that after all tho beat way to deal with an enemy is for us to subsidise the Imperial Government to maintain a fleet ■which wiU sweep any foe from off tho face of the water. Our now Government is shortly to deal with the Admiral's plan and we suppose it will join with the other colonies m a polito negative. As it so happens, indeed, unanimity is an indispensable condition to the success of this scheme No offence is intended by a refusal, but the fact is that the colonies have not yet reached tho direct contributory stage, and indirectly they contribute so largely an to justify a plea that they do their sharo. When thoy fortify their harbours thoy largely assist m a national plan of defence. Recent experience has brought out strongly the fa< t that they modern man-of-war must have a base of action. A coaling station must be near and • dock must be handy for the steamers. So Boon as English refused the French tho uso of Hong Kong, Admiral Courbot found that it was a terrible task to keep the seas, even thougn the Chinese had no hostile squadron, and his dispatche3 convey a vivid idea of -what would be the relative position of vessels secure of couls and of docking accommodation, and of vis3els without. In Melbourne and m Sydney we havo already established bases that would be invnlnable to the Imperial fleet, and at Adelaide and at Brisbane works aro going on Thus tho Imperial efforts aro largely aided. Tho local works shelter and protect an immense value of British-owned ships and of British owned goods, and while we do so much, it is an equitable division that the Mistress of the Seas should bo asked to patrol the ocean. Anything wo gave to the Imperial squadron ■would come off the local vote, and this end of the blanket does not bear Bhortning.