AN AUSTRALIAN VISITOR.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14987, 6 June 1914, Page 7

AN AUSTRALIAN VISITOR.

••BULLETIN" EDITOR'S TIEWS

ON POLITICS, DEFENCE, A.ND OTHER 31ATTERS.

ISTEOAL TO "TITE r*ES9.") AUCKLAND, June A passenger to Auckland by tho Makura this moraing was Mr J- •ttimond, well-known throughout Australasia, and beyond as the editor of tho Sydney "Bulletin." *Mr Edmond is rectipcratiag his impaired health, and is eschewing therelore anything in tho shape of work, but ho very willingly discussed a number of topics of mutual interest to the Commonwealth and to New Zealand when called upon by a Pressman shortly after landing. A DOUBLE DISSOLUTION. Tn answer to a query on the evergreen subject of politics. -Mr Edmond said that a double dissolution was almost certain in Federal politics. The Cook Government's peculiar position of having a majority of one in the Lower House and n small minority in the Senate, where Labour held about twothirds of the votes, mad© matters more than ordinarily interesting to the onlooker. Under tlio system by which the Senate was elected, each State electing six Senators, two very _raall States could outvote en© large State in , the Lower Chamber. The members were returned on a population basis, so that a curious position was possible, as in tho present case. In tho event or both houses disagreeing tor two successive sessions, then the Prime Miniater could ask i> :i dissolution. • and this," said T*' •Vimond, "is the way things are happening. Mr Cool, aent a couple oi' UiHs along lust session, and again this session, which he knew would be rejected by the Senate, thus enabling him to ask for a dissolution." In Mr Edmond's opinion, however, the position alter the eletions will be practically the same as at present, and the only constitutional remedy will be the expensive one of provoking n dissolution till eomo finality is reached. THE ATTITUDE OF LABOUR.

IHscussing the differences between the Liberal and Labour I'o-rties in Australia, he remarked upon v the astonishing and apparently inexplicable diversity of the Labour attitude in Federal

and State politics.. In Federal politics Mr risher and his colleagues weie moderately cautious and far-seeing men, who administered finance carefully, and generally .wore littlo at variance with the Liberals. In State politics, on tho other hand, declared Mr Edmond, the Labour Ministries had been notorious for their wild and reckless expenditure and extreme views. The really extreme Socialist was, however, not a very serious factor m Labour circies IV Australia, whore they wero not troubled greatly with what is known in New Zealand as the "Red Fed." element in politics. COMBINED COINAGE AND NOTJ_ ISSUE. the topic of alliance between the Commonwealth and iNew Zealand in the matter of coinage and note issue, _&»? dmo ", d r t ls T 6 * 7 in his 'I° WS -.V. " l l ¥."■ said ho, "lor about New Zealand's identity being is nonsense. Persona v, I think wo ?bf ht t0 , a J e ° - fornr of alliance At the present time, m tho matter of silver and gold coinage and a note issue with tti, , i I t , - 0n ° f profitß in Proportion to population you might either have a 1 silver mint of your own with the underv i i n ? • t the am ount you" coined should be in proportion to the population, and that the coins should bo interchangeable with ours, or arrant that Australia should mint all the silver money and divide the profit according ! to popuation. Again, in the matter of n u ,', , a Sll ™' la r basis of agreement snould be easily arranged." Mr Edmond'took from his pocket a Commonwealth note for 10s. "Look at this, he said. "It is ono of tbe most useful notes we have. There is no fear of pulling it out in mistake for sixpence. The private banks try their hardest to boycott it, though I could never discover the reason, but it is no good trying. It has come to stay."

AUSTRALIA'S LAND DEFENCE

Questioned ol the effect of Sir lan Hamilton's report on the Commonwealth land defence, Mr Edmond declared that it had greatly encouraged those who had started compulsory military training. "Compulsory training is very popular over there," ho said, "but a rather absurd mistake was mado when the scheme was started. It was initiated with boys of fourteen years and under, the result being that for the fu-3t half-doaen years wo had' nothing bat an army of boys who are now reaching the age of 21. I myself had a son who was at the time just over the ago ! snd is now about 21$ years. Like tho'isand* of others he was intensely disgusted at being excluded, and conse?uently his enthusiasm was damaged. t will also mean that in the event of any trouble that may arise within the next few years we shall have no trained reserve to fall back upon, otherwise the schem3 is working well, while the conscientious objector element, which seems to have troubled jou somewhat in New Zealand, has been a very insignificant matter in Australia." As to Sir lan personal views, ho was against compulsory military training in England. "I suppose he changed his views iv Australia when he saw what a big and sparsely peopled country it was. He recognised that a scheme which did not ropo in the TV -«—'--■--- -roiild bo practbilly tahielcss with us "

NAVAL ALLIANCE ARGUMENTS

As would be expected from the editor of tha '"Bulletin," Sir Edroor.d's opinions on the naval defence question are - They are also very esting'The feeling in Australia is that you have made a mess of tho naval business," he began when the topic was broached. "You have bought a very fine ship, hut it is stationed, I believe, at Gibraltar, where it is of little use to you. Australia and New Zealand should have built a common fleet. I don't think for an instant that the whole ' Empire can he defended in the North Sea. If yon go hack to Nelson's day you mustremember that Great Britain was then practically self-supporting. If the enemy eluded Nelson and blockaded a few British ports, no one troubled very much, knowing that Nelson would search them out sooner or later and lick them. But what is the position now? England could not stand a j blockade for more than two months without starving. I don't think, m fact, that there has been any great power in all history co absolutely dependent on imports for its daily bread. Britain has, therefore, for her own existence, to keep an overwhelming navy round her own coast. "What would be our fate in the event of war breaking out, ii the whole fleet wero concentrated in British waters P The moment that Japan thought England to be in difficulties, say with Germany, she would issue an ultimatum to Australia demanding the abandonment of the White Australia policy, and wo should have our northern shores immediately inundated with hordes of Japanese and Chinese immigrants. Neither nation has any Jove,

for us. knowing our alien restriction laws to be aimed against them, ar.d 1 do not believe that an Anglo-Japanese treaty would count worth one bit if they saw the slightest opportunity of squaring things nn with us. Even if England went down to Germany, and that nation annexed us, we should not bo in a very bad case, but spare us from a yellow dominance! Civilisation, religion, rnoinl aspirations, and -everything worth while would disappear under it. BE PREPARED! "It is. argued that any navy which we could jointly build would bo of little avail against a nation like Japan. I admit that we badly want moro population, but Australia and Now Zealand have between them as much revenue as Jap-r. and with sacrifices T believe we would keep her in c'm-k if the occasion and need arose. But we must be united, and we must be prepared, before the trouble appears on the horizon with the smoke from tho Japanese cruisers."'