OUR DEFENCES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 502, 8 May 1909, Page 5

OUR DEFENCES.

NEEDS AND SUGGESTIONS. NTERVIEW WITH ADMIRAL BOWDEN" SMITH. 'COMPULSORY SERVICE MUST COME." (By A DOMNION CORRESPONDENT.) London, March 12. This afternoon at the United Service Club, ?all Mall, I had a most interesting chat with m. ex-oommau<lcr of tho Australasian sta;ion, Admiral Bowdon-Smith, upon the needs, laval nnd defonsivo, of Now Zealand and , Australia. "I think," said tho Admiral; "Now Zeaand and Australia should bo awakened to tho " natter of defence. Wo have withdrawn our (hips very much from foreign stations, and soncentratcd them round the Bhores of Britain. AVo all know what that is for. Gornany, is showing such a feverish haste to build up a big navy,' and. is sponding 25 nillions boyond her ordinary oxpondituro this pear in order that the groat bulk of it may 50 to build now ships. The. consequence ia . . that Japan is the supreme Powor in,the Par East; and although sho is our ally at prosont, and I hope will long remain so, wo cannot say how lo(ig it will last. If New Zea- . [and and Australia wish toibo white nations, 1 is I hope, they will bo, thoy must wako up, and keep awalto to-tho position; they are in ' —their wwrness to. Japan, compared with tho listance from us. Wo have no battleships in tlio Far Bast. We have four armoured jruisers, but only ono is a very serious vessel: so that in tho event of attack by armea ;; [loots New Zealand and Australia would have nothing ,to. show, against them. What I ihink is, that both Australia and Now Zealand should havo a system of compulsory .'. training for defensive purposes." .'Tor the Navy?" , "No, for the land forces. As regards sea , power, that, of courso,' is a ' question of monoy, and Ido not suppose cither New Zea- . land or Australia at' present could afford to build up a navy. I havo always thought myself the best plan-was for, them to assist us in keeping a fleet., Personally, I believe more'in sea-going vessels—cruisers—than in harbour defences, such as toVpedo boats and mines. Even in harbour- dofencos Now, Zealand and Australia aro'.'doficiont." : "But you would not advocate thoir extension?" -1 ; •- ' "I would rather myself sou them have as T liavo said, Bca-goiiig vessels-bruisers. You nuist understand as,,far as tho protection of commprcb tho.Australian,. tno .Cliina r ' and tho Kast Indian'Fleots aro comparatively one; that, is ■to say, they, can'arrange . amongst themselves to meet and protect commerce.' Of courso, in that way, cruisors paid for. and manned ■by Australians and New Zpalandor9 would be very', useful. ; But we have nothing out in tlio Far East at present to resist a big attack by armed vessels and a large land force. That is my point." , . "Could anything bo-done in'the way of armine tho mail.boata and:suoh craft?' 1 ' . "I ao; not think so. I. do not know whether they havo tho armament to do bo now; they Lad it in Sydrioy in my time. : But I do not think, so much of that. My idea; is that in the ca6o of war wo should keep cur vessels of tho merchant semco running as long as we could. I havo always ' thought, it a mistaken idea.to take merchant t - vessels oif for tho purpose of arming them. 7 Our groat aim should be to' keep everything going aB far as we can. L would not , tako \ oif any of tho mail boats inysolf. If you | took any, you would- take the best, to arm v as' cruisers; they would bo tho very ones V you would want; fast enough Ito cecapo the oneiny." . : .' .'•' ■ j\You attach: most importance to land do- , fences for Australia and Now Zealand P" ; ."I°think tho people of to privSttt 1 their , countries 'b'cihg appropriated by anybody else, should ■ train to protect their countries. , Tho' distance, you see, is so great from us. . 1. conoodo, I am thinking of Japan. That country would want an enormous '-'transport. to take men to Australia and New Zealand; if tho people of the latter countries armed themselves, they . could repel any other race, l'hey might ,bo .' temporarily ■ bombarded and; annoyed by a 1 iloet; but the enemy could mako no senous impression on either Australia or Now Zealand, if the people were anned to protect : themselves." . . . "You mean' compulsory. trainingP" f'lYes,, for their, own saltes,. ,For home defence,, of; coursed Australia Beems to be going to do it as far as I can-judge, and New Zealand should have compulsory training. It has been considered hero; and it is j, bound to come,here. It is extraordinary the y' way' feeling- is changing in England over home defence., : I think, you will find, before 1 many years,' that wo havo hero a system of : oompulsory training for. the territorial foroa I —not for the army and navy—that 1 will ' never'come. But it. will come sooner thaa . people now think for home defenoe. It is home defonco I. urge upon New Zealand and Australia; ' As' for the naval part of the matter, I would sooner see them start'a certain number of sea-going cruisors than go | in' for torpedo boats and harbour i defoncos. j . Then lot' them develop their land f. repel attack, ' and so mako' sure of keeping 1 the country for themselves. Japan has a population of something liko 45,000,000; thoy are a very formidable, power. I. do not bolievo' they aro an. aggressive power,' ;, and ■, thoy have Korea, Formosa,and parts of , Manchuria to fill up.i :; Button tho other \ hand, 'thoy are very much like, England, in I that .tho population. is, too r great for the • country.'' .'-That must overflow somewhere,'' said the Admiral,' as tho conversation ended,...