DEFENCE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13898, 8 May 1909, Page 5

DEFENCE.

THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE. Press Association-By Telegraph-Copyright OTTAWA" May 6. Canada lias nominated Sir I l '. W. Bo I'd en, Minister of Militia, and the Hon. L. Brodqur, Minister of Miirine, to attend the July conference. ADDRESS BY EARL OF CREWE. Received 10.45 p.m., May 7th. LONDON, May/7. The Earl of Crewe, in an address afi the Liberal Colonial Club, referring to the July Conference, said lie was nob prepared to say that the time was absolutely ripe for a full and complete discussion of the whole question of imperial defence. It could hardly be expected that South Africa could speak with certainty on the subject, until the. Union was accomplished. Oil the other hand, there had been so many incidents of importance—the fine soulstirring offers of New Zealand and Australia, the not less hearty movement towards the improvement of imperial defence by Canada, that tlicy would be entirely justified in endeavouring to arrive at some at any rate provisional conclusions after talking the matter over in a friendly way. His "icw was that the sooner they o uld approach towards a common organisation of defence the better for the Empire. Such things as an Imperial general staff and a certain assimilation —lie would not. say, identity of organisation —for purposes of defence, between the systems of the Motherland and the Dominions, were all steps in the right/ direction, but local elasticity was not less necessary. They could not do any thing more unwise than attempt to impose upon the great self-governing colonies a. scheme which was unpalatable to them. In a sense each- Dominion must work out its tiefence in its own way. He was glad to know that the Government's acfcidn had the approval' of both sides of politics, because this was certainly a matter wherein they should desiro the country to act as one. The statement was received with cheers. The "Chronicle," referring to the conference, declares that the idea* of federation in defence agrees with political conditions, and appeals to the sentiments of all throughout the Empire. '