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Session 11. 1912. NEW ZEALAND.

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE, 1911 (PAPERS LAID BEFORE THE), DEALING WITH NAVAL AND MILITARY DEFENCE.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

CONTENTS. Page I. Memorandum of Conferences between the British Admiralty and Representatives of Canada and Australia .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 11. Report of a Committee of the Imperial Conference convened to discuss Defence (Military) at the Wai Office .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3

No. I. MEMORANDUM OF CONFERENCES BETWEEN THE BRITISH ADMIRALTY AND REPRESENTATIVES OF THE DOMINION OF CANADA AND THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA. The Naval Services and Forces of the Dominions of Canada and Australia will be exclusively under the control of their respective Governments. 2. The training and discipline of the Naval Forces of the Dominions will be generally uniform with the training and discipline of the fleet of the United Kingdom, and, by arrangement, officers and men of the said forces will be interchangeable with those under the control of the British Admiralty. 3. The ships of each Dominion Naval Force will hoist at the stern the white ensign as the symbol of the authority of the Crown, and at the jack-staff the distinctive flag of the Dominion. 4. The Canadian and Australian Governments will have their own navel stations as agreed upon and from time to time. The limits of the stations are as described in Schedule (A), Canada, and Schedule (B), Australia. 5. In the event of the Canadian or Australian Government desiring to send ships to a part of the British Empire outside of their own respective stations, they will notify the British Admiralty. 6. In the event of the Canadian or Australian Government desiring to send ships to a foreign port, they will obtain the concurrence of the Imperial Government, in order that the necessary arrangements with the Foreign Office may be made, as in the case of ships of the British fleet, in such time and manner as is usual between the British Admiralty and the Foreign Office. 7. While the ships of the Dominions are at a foreign port a report of their proceedings will be forwarded by the officer in command to the Commander-in-Chief on the station or to the British Admiralty. The officer in command of a Dominion ship so long as he remains in the foreign port will obey any instructions he may receive from the Government of the United Kingdom as to the conduct of any international matters that may arise, the Dominion Government being informed.

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