ARMAMENTS AND WAR

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 630, 6 October 1909, Page 8

ARMAMENTS AND WAR

|,| AS SIR JOSEPH WARD SEES THEM. .<;. .;'-- SHIPS THE MAIN;THING. '-.'V : ■ -: ; BOT NO;LOCAL : NAVY. ! • Addressing-a large gathering' of : members' of the .New Zealand Club at,its. sixth fortnightly, luncheon yesterday, the' Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) dealt with the necessity for cooperation': between the Motherland and .the oversea dominions, especially in regard to the defence- of the Empire., -- v .. .

Unanimity of Defence. Conference, r Sir Joseph remarked that," whilst at Home, he was particularly impressed by tee fact that the responsible 'men on both sides of politics were now much more keenly anxious to eni sure the welding of the links of Empire than : was noticeable on the occasion of his former visit.to. the Old Land. The movement. which was being made by .other countries' in' the direction of preparation for war had not exoited the imagination of the sentimentalists, but had aroused people who before were dormant. It was realised, he. continued,.even, by the solid. people, that there /was trouble ahead, and; the only-way;to ensure the. safety of the Empire was by : formulating a scheme under which Great Britain' would have the. co-opera-tion of her self-governing dependencies. Within the inner circle,of the conference; though.there was plenty of room for diversity of opinion, there was not even so' much as a ripple, in tho'way of'a delegate of one,amntry-trying to force or press against the visit of the delegate, of any other country. .To try. and, look beyond one's own shores was the view which all the delegates (including'those representing'the Home Country) had adopted. If. petty differences had, been .allowed to, arise it would have destroyed all hope of unanimity in re- r gard to a comprehensive-scheme of action. The ,fac,t-wis that the'i'mmensity' of the situation, musf-'have" impressed everyone with., ; the'''rV sult.that their-ohe-'desire.was to do;something not of {a'.hominal,,but of .'a, practical character jrhiph'';wbuld be the'starting point from which, ere ': long, -to; strengthen the. British... Navy to 'such an .extent 'that \ other, countries', would realise" that.,'it was'h'opeless to:.'try";and'get ahead-.of,the ■ British' Navy-: To. suppose that, the>{;movement which the other;,Powers,.hail;, onded'was.as'reasonable. as-to .suppose, that .the. end of /the world was within cdo-ee, which of course it, might be,for aught.- one ;C'ould;.tell.,.; , 'If-We Were Drawn Into a Maelstrom.'. : Owing<to{ : the growth that was 'taking'-place,' in'the-various ■ portions of the Empire, (continued S|r Josepn). those who were entrusted the government, of them wouldhave to go iin;- the matter of defence to an extent 'Which''could' not have been dreamt of a decade ago. So far-as : New Zealand, was: concerned, he looked forward with confidence to''seeing the

''question, of defence elevated above-party poli'tics. "No"party,; neither .the one in:power, .rior. the one that, was in opposition, should attempt i'to. gain',-political advantage out -of -jjhat was 'undoubtedly the greatest question which could •come before it. • As war was so ..ruinous, • acountry; should- during times of peace stretch ahead as far 'as- it could reasonably,-go in. the way of. making provision to ensure, its safety. He would remind them that it;would cost them less" to' make suitable preparations than would.be'the case if, by some mischance, it was drawn into, a'-.-maelstrom.',; ,■■■'■■■",-"■■'■ .';" No Militarism Wanted. : To those who had not travelled abroad, he -would say that he would be sorry to see in the British Empire a system of militarism - Buoi as now obtained in some countries. Why, every ;6eoond: i m"an,.or'.',So.;'on6 met in them was'.con-ineoted.-in-some way with some military organic jsation.- ..Not ;long ago' .the ruler' of • one of the jcountries,'-that.'was trying to get .alongside' .Great -Britain < commercially had stated that ~be,cbnld;put:..tw.b.million's,:of equipped.-men in-:the.-'field-lf;'the,occasion ..arose for attack o? .defence.,- Did that, not 1 make one think what ;might happen if the people, of the - Old. Land .(which was situated so close to: the one towhich he had. alluded) and., .the people' of, its ; oversea . dominions did .not jpin,Vjprw . '.;■. not; in sentiment but on .practical", lines,' to ensure: that,' if,, a struggle'.did come,/the struggle, would:not be (as.would : : have been the. case, ten years ago) with.theYOld.Land'ialone,. but with the -whole British" race wherever the ■ British flag, was to be found? ;He trusted'that,- during'the comingsession,. ParljamenLtwould take a step .which": would;'.'givo New' Zealand ', a superior .position under the British Navy than would accrue as a result^of-having a local navy. .' i ' ■ Rejuvenate "the Old Navy," j -There were some—he vdid not' think' many— (Who held-that New Zealand.should itself build : a navy,.but he did not tnink it was possible •for that to be done as, unless there was going ito be a-system of replacements at short inter•v'als, it would not-pay anyone to go in for-the -.necessary mechanical equipment, Some others, ;he i found, ,;.took" up, .another' mereenary view—; .that,; to build a.-local-navy, would be a saving-.in-expense.- Jtwas his'"firm conviction that,jcompared" with .the' increased protection that iwould be afforded, it would -be' infinitely - iox ; New.; Zealand to • con foiue '■ to, ;proi'vide ■ ayportion.',of the; cost of the upkeep'of ) the'great British;' Navy- In tbJ6 regard he was .pleased to sCo'that by far the greater; majority •of the newspapers wei-e voicing a' view similar; ?to that which' he held. For many years, ''whilst; New' Zealand was growing,'it. had been 'anbrded : the -protection of the'. British Navy. How much ■■ greater -.was protection- needed now 'that, the "country, possessed,'huge assets? '.Sir' Joseph;added: "Instead of 1 contributing a'.very; small amdnnt to the British Navy,,we.require to. impress. on. the.outside world .that. we-, are rnot sentimental, attacher's, but that we are pre'pared to see.onf ship forming a 1 part of the '-British Navy—not as a' representative' of.". the Government, :but of the people—and wish-to ■see:the old British Navy rejuvenated and im'pregnable.''.... ■~ .Upon the conclusion' of his address, which was-frequently punctuated by applause, Sir Joseph.received. a.hearty vote of.thanks.''.■•.-•,