EMPIRE DEFENCE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20672, 10 March 1937, Page 7

EMPIRE DEFENCE

UNIFIED PLAN PROPOSED LONDON, February 27. The question o£ Australia's adding one or two cruisers, or even a battleship (which would cost £8,000,000) to her naval strength, is likely to be discussed at the Imperial Conference in May. It is probable, therefore, that Australia’s share of the expenditure in connection with the Empire defence plans will Cause surprise. Owing to the farreaching nature of the defence discussions, Government circles expect that the conference will last at least six weeks.

The result should be a degree of unity hitherto undreamed of, though even the existing co-ordination of arrangements is more complete than is officially admitted.

It is understood that the Commonwealth’s new defence vote will not be finally allocated until after the conference, at which British and Dominions experts will draw up a single plan visualising centralised control for the whole of the Empire defences. Each Dominion will contribute a set quota of and munitions to the whole, though retaining complete control of such in peace-time. In the event of war, the plan envisages the willingness of the Dominions to hand over a large measure of the control to Britain.

As far as Australia is concerned, this would mainly involve naval units. The ships would not necessarily leave the southern hemisphere, but would be working units of the British squadrons as during the last war. In spite of the growing importance of air defence, naval strength will be raised to the highest level. The conference will also survey the Empire’s man power and industrial capacity with a view to summing up its maximum resources for fighting and economic purposes, if the worst came to the worst.

While it is believed here that any war would mean “One in, all in,” it is emphasised that the self-governing rights of the Dominions will not be affected. The decision whether they will take part in any war in which Britain is involved will rest entirely with each Dominion, but it is a matter of common sense to have a unified plan ready.