NEW ZEALAND'S NAVAL POLICY.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14887, 29 January 1914, Page 9

NEW ZEALAND'S NAVAL POLICY.

— ■♦ I\*OT A PARTY QUESTION. PRESIDENT OF NAVY LEAGUE SPEAKS OUT. Some interesting remarks were made yesterday afternoon by Mr J. J. Dougall, a. member of the Lyttelton : Harbour Board, and president of the Canterbury branch of' the . Navy League, at the re-opening of the Sailors' Home at Lyttelton". on tho question of the Naval Defence policy of the Dominion [ Mr Dougall said that the peace, comfort and security enjoyed by tho people of -New Zealand, and, indeed, of the whoio Empire, were duo wholly and solely to the Navy, Ho feared that very many people failed to recognise the fact that but for the protection afforded by tho Navy we should be in a very parlous condition. Hew Zealand must contribute liberally to the naval defence of the Empire, on which her very-existence depended. He was sorry to say, and he said ifc advisedly, that during the past few months, thero had been a disposition shown in certain quarters in the Dominion to make the naval defence question a party question. In the past naval defence had been kept a non-party question. He sincerely hoped that national defence would not"become a party question for that would be absolutely fatal. It was very right and proper that questions of defence should bo properly and fairly discussed. It did not always follow that whatever was proposed as a defence policy should bo accepted without but such questions should be regarded from an absolutely impartial and unbiased standpoint, and party feeling should bo entirely "cut out." Speaking as president of the Canterbury branch of the Nayy # League, it was* with very deep regret that he felt compelled to make these i-marks, but !he did not think he was wrong in doing so, as other people had expressed the same opinions to jiim in speaking of tho naval defence question.