The Dominion. THURSDAY, MAY 6, 1909. IMPERIAL NAVAL DEFENCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 500, 6 May 1909, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, MAY 6, 1909. IMPERIAL NAVAL DEFENCE.

Nothing seemed so important to us, when considering tho position revealed by the debate on tho Navy Estimates in March, as the fact that it required tho overseas States of the Empire completely to revise their conception of their Imperial obligations. In a day, as it were, complete innocence of the Imperial character of naval'defence gave way to the knowledge that the burden of British seapower must be shared by tho dominions, The surprising thing is that nobody had properly realised the position before.' In the light of the now knowledge, nothing is clearer than the impossibility of leaving tho people of the British Isles to maintain practically unaided j the naval forces necessary to protect the Empiro and to carry it intact and dominant into the ages to como. Year by year tho power and resources of tho other nations are growing nearer to equality with Great Britain: year by year the effort of Great Britain to maintain tho two-Power standard becomes more difficult. But year by year tho power and resources of tho dominions are growing, and growing more rapidly than any of the rivals of Britain. Tho'strength of any national confederation varies as tho product of population and character, and it is a mere fact of statistics that the Empire, in the distant future, will dominate the world more completely than British diplomacy dominates the fato of nations to-day. .To begin now to , organise tho Empire for the future is therefore tho simplest kind of wisdom, and it is therefore a matter for unalloyed satisfaction that tho British Government is moving towards the unification of tho Empiro in the matter of. naval defence.

Last weok it was reported that tho BritishPnniE MiNiSTEii had suggested that a conference might bo hold next year between representatives of Great Britain and the dominions "regarding their future respectivo shares in the great interdependent work of naval defence." In tho last few days, however, tho British Government has evidently decided upon moro rapid action, sinoo it was yesterday &&■'

nounced that Mn. AaqmTH has stated that steps wilj he taken to ascertain the views of the dominions with a view to holding a conference in July. Sib Joseph Warp has stated that no decision has been arrived at respecting the representation of New Zealand at any conference that may bo held, but wo trust that he will treat tho question as of supreme importance. That he should himself visit England as the New Zoaland delegate is perhaps too much to expect. He has an anxious time ahead of him in the matter of .our domoatio concerns. As an Imperialist he is prone to orror —he,has not yet fully realised, in respect of Imperial preference, the grave importance of avoiding even the suspicion of a willingness to hold opinions upon Britain's duty ~but his general view of Imperial naval defence, as given in his speech at the Imperial Conference on April 23, 1907, is in the main very correct. On that occasion he laid down in the most emphatic fashion possible, and without a shadow of qualification, tho wise rule that in any Imperial scheme of naval defence the complete control must be surrendered absolutely to the British authorities. He was doubtful, however, whether New Zealand could contribute very largely'to a general sohemo:

1 Whilst anxious to help tho Old World and the other portions of the Empire in making » system of common defence upon both land and the, seas, tho all-importance of which Wβ reoognisa to the fullest possible extent, we stillhave to keep before us, as a young country, tho fact that in the future many millions of money will be required for the country itself to carry out great undertakings that in the Old World have been carried out, many of them, such,, for instance, is your railways, by private enterprise; ■■■ . • It is because of the .fact that we have these great undertakings that may take years to fulfil in the future before us that we should hesitate to impose upon ourselves the burden of the construction of ships of war," ar. of any great liabilities connected with the maintenance of ships of war, or any great financial responsibilities other Dhan'we actually commit ourselves to in a defined agreement.: '■'■■:

What he suggested as'a probably useful contribution would be the provision and maintenance of such docks as the Admiralty might, consider necessary, and the provision of coaling-stations and coal. He had also some ideas about manning the vessels'in Australasian waters. It will bo noted that the Dreadnought offer is in direct conflict with his view, upon the impossibility of going outside a defi : nite agreement. • ' :

'It is far easier to agree with Sib Joseph Warp's respect for a "defined agreement" than with the polioy of rushing forth with offers in times of crisis, ■The. naval defence of the Empire is a, complex problem, but the - Empire is a complex assemblage of States, and these States between them can contribute variously to the 'desired end. The contributions that will he most valuable, will bo contributions' in kind. To guarantee repairing facilities and coal supplies may be far batter than to guarantee the cost of a ship built in Britain, Nothing is so clear as the fact that the contributions of the dominions must be realities, and not formalities like the present naval .subsidies. A conference oi representatives from the. States of the Empire can settle the general principle which'must be do-" , cided upon sopner or later. That a'general principle has long been in the mind of the, Britisn Government is dear from lionD Tweedmouth's speech at the Imperial i Conference. The;;Cbnferonce unfortunately ended without a dbfinite resolution, being arrived at. Dk. $irAßny representing Cape.Colony, had submitted a resolution affirming "the duty of the Dominions beyond the Seas to make such contribution towards the up-keep of the Navy as may be . determined by iheir local' legislatures—the contribution to take the; form of a grant' of money, the establishment of local naval ; defence, or suph other, services, in such manner as may be. decided upon after consultation with the Admiralty and as would best accord with their! varying circumstances." Canadian opposition prevented the resolution from going to the vote. If for no other reason, the proposed conference is desirable in order that tho naval defence of the -Empire shall be based on principle and reason, and removed from the direction of impulse and temporary emotion.'