The Dominion FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 1909. AN IMPERIAL NAVAL COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 495, 30 April 1909, Page 4

The Dominion FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 1909. AN IMPERIAL NAVAL COUNCIL.

; It is a natural sequel to the, development of tho oversea dominions; and their attitude towards the defence question, as expressed after the recent■■' revelations ■ in •the House of Commons, that the British Cabinet is now considering a proposal to hold an Imperial Naval. Conference next :year. ; Me, Asquith,.speaking without consulting his colleagues, suggested- recently the possibility of a conference be;tween the colonies; : . and '■ the Mother Country • /I'regardirig; their . ; future respective' Vshiires:. ; in : the '.'great independent -work ,;/:of' naval defence," and the suggestion was- at once approved by the Royal Colonial Institute. If the conference is resolved upon, it- will probably:; form the 'first step j towards, that Imperial Naval Council the advisableness of establishing which has been lately urged both in Great Britainand the colonies. There is:no doubt that ,the contributions hitherto:made towards tho naval defence/of the Empire by most of the ororsea States'havo been altogether .'disproportionate to: the costVof .upkeep of tho Navy, and the value of; that protection which they hope to ' receive- in time of trouble. Tho naval subsidy of £100,000 a', year from New Zealand, though much more than we-were giving a few years ago, works out at only a small fraction per head.of the contribution made by residents of Great Britain. In the past there,have been strong, if scarcely adequate, excuses for this great disparity between colonial and British

' ' di hurit;;x;K-.;v' : .v!tivst-;:.! : ;: ILJ ,j, ,v ' i I unions of prcdu. he -haS/to wk';'- .'.V-'.war with Nature, I sometimes wnn a savage race, before ho can. develop the resources of his countrj While-he is still struggling against these .. internal;adversaries it is naturaL.fo.r'-him ■: to leave the defence of hisitseabpardwto. the Imperial' Power. When, however;-.tho resources of that Power are challenged by a foreign competition,?, and the .colon- , ies have overcome their earlier difficulties of development, it devolves* on > them to do something to. relieve the Mother Country of the general burden.of defence! Pujcently not one of them has- been back; ward in acknowledging that responsibil-; ity.;; Canada and Australia arc establishing local navies, and have met with some encouragement in that design, and New Zealand has offered money for construction of a Dreadnought, or two if necesV sary. . .The colonies have stated that they, are.willing to bear a fairer proportion of the burden of Imperial defence, and as that burden grows heavier, and tho colonies grow stronger and richer, it is obvious that they will be expected to bear it isoon. ■■■■'..., But ii: the colonies are going to make a serious contribution to the upkeep of the strength of the Navy, it is but reasonable that they should have some voice in the Councils of the Empire, and especially, in those-questions of policy with which they are more immediately concerned. This necessity has been, urged on behalf of nearly all the oversea States, and" also by the Standard in Great Britain. A series of .articles by colonial writers which have been appearing in the Standard give an interesting impression of the attitude' of the great dominions on the naval question. ';: Captain Olive Phillips-Wolley, a well-known Canadian writer and inan of affairs, states that Canada is anxious to'bear, her share, perhaps . more than .-'-, her share, of the burden of naval protection—on one con-, dition:. "She must have; some part in the control and disposition of the force which she will help to. maintain." Me,'Sanford Evans, Mayor' of Winnipeg, urges the appointment in every oversea State of a Minister to be specifically responsible for dealing with the Secretary of State for the Colonies in all ; matters of common interest. ' Me. E. H. Walton, a former Treasurer of Capo. Colony,: believes that, the forthcoming, South African.Federation will .not hesitate" to assume its fair share of the naval burden "provided that it obtains a, voice in the control, and is adequately represented in the 'council to whose hands the duty of Imperial defence is committed." An .Imperial General Staff, .'to secure co-ordination of system: between the; colonies and Great Britain in riiilitary affairs, has been already established, and; when the colonies,take a greater part in the'responsibility of sea protection, an Imperial Naval Council will be its natural' complement. I "We must have," says the Standard, "a'fully. \ representative Council: of Defence, on which the delegates of Greater Britain can ' speak in tones no whit les3 r authoritative ! than those of the United Kingdom! Without that the Imperial General Staff will ! De inadequate' and: ineffectual." An Im- ( perial Naval Conference might lead the : j way'to such a Council; and it is interest-; , ing to note that while Australians are ' desirous that Loed- .Chaeles Beresford should visit; them and give them some ad- Y ?ice on'naval affairs,; the Canadians are ! sending 'Home their Minister for Marine \ md two other Ministers to consult au- t jhorities regarding the creation of a local 'I iavy. . The necessity for a conference is '* ;hereby admitted by two pf the great over- ] ;ea States, and if Me. Asquith's sugges- j. aonis'approved by i the ..Cabinet, ,the » British and colonial' representatives, * vhen they come together, will be able to idnsider what development of intercourse; r nay be desirable for the. future. .' t