IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 556, 10 July 1909, Page 10

IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

Sir,—Throughout tho controversy that lias taken:, place concerning- naval defenoe, onoaspect, at least of' the question appears to have b«m'entirely overlooked. It has been repeatedly said that the-fate of 'tho British colonies may be settled in the , North Sea, and,, no doubt, it may bebut, if we giveall our attention to the North Sea, it appears reMonablv certain that our fato will bo settled in the Pacific Ocean. A glance at the.map or a moment's -pondering will show that (leaving aside the' United States) there aro but. two oentrcs of naval activity. one:;in 'and about the North-Sea,, and tho othor: in and about the Yellow Sea ; and that these two.centres^ are as far apart (and farther) as Polo is from l'ole. * ■ ' Sir John Fisher assures us that our suproniacy m _tho_North Sea is at tho required standard; Lord. Charles Beresford assures us that-it is not j but wo all know, that, if wo. aro tho standard, it is not by very But what of our supremacy in tho,\ellow Sea? What Assurance have wo that it is at any standard at all? We know that we. have several squadrons in the Pacific, but wo know equally well that every, one ofsuch; squadrons is' hopelessly; obsolete'and uiefrecuye. We loiow that wo havo not one battleship in, tho. Pacific, 1 and wo must, therefore, know, that ,wo stand at the morcy , a P a ? - we proposo tofthrow, the whole of.our resources into tho' North, Sea and let tho Pacific go hang. Into tho North bea, whero-' Sir John .Fisher assures, us our is fully maintained and let tho Pacific, where wo havo no supremnoy at all. go hang; .' V

It is argued that, if Japan declared war against Great Britain, a British 'Floot would bo dispatched to tho Pacific to fight the Japanese. .If such a fleet, hie enough to beat tho Japanese, ever did lcavs Homo waters, it is fairly safe to assume that Qert many , would then assert herself; for our supremacy ,in tho North Sea would then tho.minimum. Such a ;floet, moreover,would be at an enormous disadvantage in meeting tho Japanese, by reason -of tho lengthy voyage. And Japan, in .tho meantime, Would not have been ' idle, ■ and may have assumed a British colony or two. A lost colony is of 110 me to the Empire: we owe it to. ourselves that wo have otir full hieasure of; protection;' our patriotism and Imperialism'must bo sane. ' _fiow _ theh to give' assistance to tho Motherland in inaintaing supremacy' in tho North Sea,.'and, at tho same time, secure, auequato protection to, ourselves? Our over-, sea squadrons contain thousands of valuable, highly-trained men, and cost thousands of jjoimda . muwbu >»\d yeb am of no

ing'valuo. " It" would ho a mighty assistanoa to tho Motherland if all these ships wero consigned to the scrap heap,; and- trie men and money used for strengthening.tho Homo vl • " I, 1 ?' Canada, Australia) South Africa, and New Zealand could then federate tor the purpose of naval defence.; and create and pay for a British Pacific Nary, officered and controlled by the British Admiralty, but. manned by colonials.' Such a navy should an . ocean-going erne, composed of first-' class buttleahips and cruisers and necofcsarr complements. Suoh' a navy would hare its .base in soiae central position in the Pacific, Tj ' ■ I V ctd !f M with the policy of th« "1 Hol ?°,waters, kept concent .trated, intact, and howogeneous, and not split up iato squadrons. In a preyisus ktter 1 hM the/temerity fc* point out the absurdity of each' colony Lav-, W its own navy; this .absurdity has appai* ently beeni recognisedl by the colonial delegates to the Press Conference. Surely a federation of India, Canada,-' South Africa, ' Australia, and New Ze&land could'stand, tho financial strain - of natal. competition with Japan. Britain would then be truly mistress' ot all the seas, for what other-naval-Powera fro there to meet, and boat but Germany (ami 1 her aUies) and Japan? Tbo United States! is lctt out- of the question,v for it'is- an Anglo-Saxon nation, and is lilcely again" to bo at war with Great Britain;- it is more.' likoly to be United witH'her in cverlasfcinot treaty. - v ; ...• ;i. With our Pacific Navy a storn reality^ 1 it would bo checkmate to Gorman colonial .and : commercial ambition, for-her colonies and much of her mercantile marine-: bo atour mercy. ■ Wo need this naval power ia tho Pacific, for though wo are under .treaty, with Japan, there are many indications of the possibility of war. Treaties are mad© ,tj> M" broken, and international affection ,is buk dotting, Japan has absorbed alarmiag quantities of _ British and 'American' trade, and is'.absorbing-more, .day by d,iy, by reason" lwr cheap sca-going labour. It seems a war-, like ccrtainty that, if Britain is to retainher trade. and prestige in the East, she must close the open door to' Japanese competition, and she must hare the power. behind th« door to keep it shut. Uncle', Baa ho« ''gob his op6n, and is a-fleeting in tho Pacific!' What' for? ■ May be because Japanese mo>, cantilo marine, is increasing in, an alarming manner, and -mercantile, nfarine Spells "po, tential' transports for troops" 1 as well: as "carriers of commoroo."—l am, oto., P. -B. FITZHERBERT. Dnnnovirko, Joly 6, 1909. ". 1 ;