NEW ZEALAND AND THE NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 626, 4 October 1909, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND AND THE NAVY.

v It' is -satisfactory' to'.'.note ' 'that Sib Joseph Ward's arrival at Wellington passed off without unseemly demonstrate of indeed, was that caused by the Prime Minister, himself, in his Preferences' to thoso: who have hot found themselves ia , *; his'views'on naval defence. », "A 1 ! 15 ' •??,'. said, "there.was.room for legitimate opinion'as, to the value of the proposed schome, one could not help feeling that, there had been some wilful,; deliberate, and lying - miscalculating Not infrequently these had been tt&de by people who professed to have the welfare of tho Empire at.heart as much av anybody else,' : . It,was mean and'con-temptible,-and'its ■object was in order bo try'and stab-tho representativo of the country, just because ho happened to bo the leader of 'the dominant political party. Ihcro might," he ended very omii'pusly, "bo a proper time to' oxpatiato i'i rogard to- matters of this kind, but ho would not do'soon that occasion." This looks .uncommonly, like a return to the' old line of "argument" that everyone who disagrees, with the Prime Minister is a. traitor, secretly anxious for the Empirft to fall to pieces, arid specially desirous that-New. Zealand and.her', people should be plunged in misery and ruin. , Many of Sir. .Joseph's truest political ,friend,6.:raust hayo.bccp a,good .deal jpained when tnoy_ heard him speaking in

this strain on such an occasion. Thcro must surely bo somebody amongst' hie friends with sufficient authority to take the liberty of telling him that therb is really no political valno in branding onos critics as traitors to their country. Since the whole question of New Zealand's position in relation tothe Navy is tii bo; discussed by Parliament, the Peimb Minister might quite properly havo contented himself on Saturday with a brief reference to his visit to London. As, however, he spoke at great length, and in a combative mariner, his speech' rmut be taken; as boing intended as "a reply to the criticisms to which he has been, subjected. Whilo he stated some very obvious truths, •however, such for instance as.his description of what would'happen if the. British Fleet was .destroyed, ho, did not deal with tlw jeal points at issuo. He said nothing relevant, for instance, to the .many points: which wo raised: on~:Fr'iday, and which were raised again on Saturday by, 'our evening. contemporary. While; we disagree, with a number .of his conteri:'. tions as being quite-erroneous, there is pi'ly ono to which on'the present occasion we propose to refer. This particular assertion probably was given utterance to without thought—the utterance of a highsounding sentiment, pleasing to-the ear, but a serious ■ distortion of fact v when analysed:- "The people of New Zealand," Sir Joseph said, "were not going to sfend by and see the*peoplo'of Britain taxed for. the protection of the Dominion." .That is just exactly what. .Sir Joseph proposes that peopleof New Zoalapd should do. His critics, he E'ays, arc lamentably stupid, and no doubt he .will say, again that we'are lamentably , etupid. when we state the fact, which e\er?one knows,, that next year's/Naval; Estimates cannot bo less than and will most probably be £45,000,000, or £\ per head, of the population of" tho United Kingdom. If, therefore, we aro not going, to see tho people of Britain taSced for our protection, we.must'contribute at tho samb rate... .Does Siii JcsEPH Ward contemplate paying ,a sub-, sidy of a million ..a year?; Of course he docs not,, and this being so;'it- would, ho well to talk a littlo more moder- ; lately' 'as to .what ■ wo are .propared, to.- ..do. EvcnV-.at ■ the ' risk: of being called stupidV we must stc-te that, .leaving our ' cruiser—a temporary and.isolaled gift—out of,account, i.New Zealand' is paying at a T.ate; which,if it ( - were the rate in Britain ti would ! make the 'Naval 'Estimates'of 'that country. ■ merely' '£4,000,000■ -a .year;' The main '-point. ■~-of■■:, our .criticisms' been that "the -Ward. Administration .hav almost .entirely.failed,'to give : any. serious thought- to naval-, defence.:', .It never encouraged the public , to develop a. naval,sense, or to pay any serious;attentiqii'.to' the first'of national duties.; .In. th'.- meantime Canada and Australia,have ■been ,' trained by their.'leaders' :to,.;think' and to prepare, with tho result that when the time came those countries rose, splendidly to, , the:occasion, while,.New'ZealancV through the neglect or;lackof foresight of those who govern it, ihas been"made- to play a,less rioblo part. - : The nation must know that this is true, and.if .'it has'any. national-pride, as we know it has, it will not rest in ignoble content-with,its posi-, ,tion, allowing Sir Joseph"WAßD'tb'salve *ita in, i»v/;..';■':