THE AUSTRALIAN NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 496, 1 May 1909, Page 7

THE AUSTRALIAN NAVY.

NO INDEPENDENT CONTROL. SIR RICHARD POORE'S VIEWS. (FLOJI OUB OWN COr.RKSI'ONEIBNI.) ' Sytfnsy, April 24. For the first time wc have had pronounced i this week upon the question of the Australian i Navy, the views of tbp distinguished officer in abapge of tho Australian station, Admiral Poope, a man whoso advice at the present juncture is of the highest importance, i' Speaking in reply to tho toast "Tho Army and Navy.' at tho annual St. Georgo'B Day dinner in Sydney last night, Admiral Pooro said that the naval question scomed'to have resolved itielf into tho Australian Navy on ;tho ono hand against the Dreadnought on the other.. His bwn opinion _was that ho wouldvliko to havo both. (Cheors.) : Sinco he had come to Australia—not very, long, but long enough to have got Bome ideas —lie had come to the conclusion that for many reasons a flotilla of torpedo-boat destroyers would bo of tremendous advantage to Australia, not' only for its actual fighting value, but for the ' nioral effcct it would havo, ■ if/',in case of, war, we were obliged to withdraw our Aus-' traliaii squadron from these- waters. But there was also tbjs, .that in the/case of naval power there could be only one head. (Cheers.) There ,could not be any question of dual con- ' trol. A3:to a destroyer flotilla here,: officered and manned and trained in Australia; to which he had not had across during peace tunes, he could not conceive anything moro dangerous; for this reason, that if ho we're a^,soa,. or approaching the land, ho shonld not know whether ba con!d trust these - de-•staroora-againsi, in the>best spirit in tho wide *«W. fetroyiug him. (Cheers and faoghter.j. There wore many questions in connection with the*establishment of an Australian Navy, which he could not speak about:! yjb great knowledge,; because his ,-only. information on the subject had' oome from tho daily papers. Still ho thought that tho establishment of. a flotilla on tbo lines he had indicated, controlled ,by the Imperial naval authorities, would be; a good thing, but the training must come from . the,-test naval school in the world —namelv, the naval school of Great Britain. (Cheers.) As to tho Droadnougiifcs, if they, looted at the map, would find that Anistr&ha' was at the end of: a: string, in this way, that it was a-lialfeiag point. were thousands and; thousands of; miles which .formed the highways to Australia. Thcw highways had to beprotected, and they could onlv be protected by a-coniral power which'■' had. traoittons, and tbo training of year?., and :■ They. might - call: tSis opinion oldfashioned; oonseryativo-rwhatever they liked:' but tbero was the. fact. ■ There was only one. Boot in tbo woffkl that was at sea constantly from the Ist. of January to tho Ist. of Januffas'tijoSeetof Great Britain' (Cheers.) Vi bcn they spoke of tbo defcnce of; Auskalia', vin-sy should' remember that it preservation of 'three: highways and :the st?.tioos, which, under lie Union Jack, on thosoihiEhway's. . (Gliecrs.) i^y,.musthave • the whole i control. and protection of thoso-stetions. in tlie. bands of ,'the centra! power which poracssos that great force—the British ■' Navy. (Cheers.) ■> :>; Lord Dutiloysostaton. j Lord Dudley/ the Governor-General, who was present .ai this';bammiet, spoked of' • tbo ; | pleasure with. which ,he had listened', tothe very; frank and rr.ank "utterances of tho | Admiral. For luiasefi/.he, was' entirely in | £ 70tlr -of i tbo, fonnatjon ?of an Australian i ftavy, and this was-altogether.'apart from'tho question „ of.: Bteadnoafc-btsi on which -ho I muM not 'tpoch.- ■ He favoured the Augt-ra-I Navy ior two reasons—first, because 1 it | jvould provido/greater opportnmtios to Australians to show their skill and grit and ( second, because ,ho ■ believed tho time was arriving when '.every part 'of -tho' Empire must maio : due contribution' to Imperial' aofocoe, (CWs2). There must' bo either f" 1 adequate,-subsidy "m money 'or a contrib,rfun by,this country of; s&ips and men «, their own. He did, not believe..they ,»oufckoyor,be able tounduco this oountry to Biye.an'-adeqija'te monetary'conri'ibutibri. This .would. metui-:£2;000,0po or £3*000,000: and' was would- bo.able to get that Bum-without ;oßtffinnig what' 'was impossible .-- 1 ? management I J or control: of the po iiw? (Hear, hoar.) ITierefore, ho celiOTcd they wotrid get far,more =from this; • cotmtry m j the vwa.jv.of stops and men. Specsh by Admiral Bosanquat. . : A Coniinration of ; the views expressed by .Admiral roore comes in v this, .inorningia papers m tho report ol a spcech delivered last night in Adelaide, st tho St George's Day oinner i there, by Admiral BomnqSet, tno^r>CT>-iy-apjK)mted''GovcnK)r!of-Soutliitue- ' tranaj- ' One - ofthe .gfcat .questions 'of. 'tee. day, ,he . said, was, how Australia could best help inthe work of • tho, Imperial Navy. Australia desired. to . commence tho efltabItsßiHont of a naval ; force which "should stimulate tho patriotic ardour of Australian poM>te-in the direction of maritimo efficiency and ?Ma ; p<M?er,; while at,the same time ios-' wnng a.,, feeling . of secunty among the in- : habitants of tho coastal towns of £ho Commonwealth by the provisioii of a local force winch would, always bo at hand. If the provision of snailer craft; which were neces--6?n!LuCl?Wt to % ! VOTk of » great fleet : of ' Could. be made locally, it ! ttoold be o great help to the general work? , of _the navy/ , -They;could • not . twice small ! craft, suoli •as torpedo boats aind destroyers • 1 sctoss tho occanj and' 'for British warships to arnvo m Australia and find ready to their hand wdl-tmincd men iti. good yessels of ..this kind,-<-it votild bo of onormons ad.vantage, ; to tho fleet and to the naval defcrco of Australia. There was ; .the further advantiige:;: that those , small, flotillas would ,be an, admirable: means',of coast defence. They could, by tho iuso of them, av-oid practically,.all dariger'i.from -any. isudden raid wh-ich might.'lio. made', by. .an enemy's oruising squadron. Moioovor, it would bo ,of vital importance to a Bntish fleet arriving frem;a; distant.-qparter.-to' : fijid ready to itii well-trained, and ready to take parwin ita»wod;. • . .. : _ Those,%spKclieo-from - what thay .aro ; . talking,. about;vrill give a v new ! comploxion to .discussion of "tho Aus--.tralian-Jfavy question. -.'. \ . ;