The Dominion. FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 26, 1909. NAVAL DEFENCE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 674, 26 November 1909, Page 6

The Dominion. FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 26, 1909. NAVAL DEFENCE.

When the House of Representatives meets on Monday theie will be three weeks available for legislation beforo Parliament adjourns. How much attention v, likely to be given in that short period, in view of the mass of business, on the Order Paper, to the question of defence? What do members know of the views held by naval experts laid before the Deferlco Conference? What havo thoy to guide them in arriving at a decision on this momentous question? Wo all know the Prime Minister's views, we know his desires, and they must carry a certain amount of weight, but is. the Houso prepared to shirk its plain duty to exercise an unfettered judgment on a question of f national policy—a matter entirely free from any suggestion of party politics? Tho total activity of tho Prime Minister ' s far has been tho production of a Bill ! lo authorise the raising of the loan neoes- : sary to defray the cost of the Dread-hought-cruiser. He has not yet produced his proposals for the improvement df our internal defences, nor has ho afforded us the information we rcquiro as i 'tb l '£h'B' proceedings of the Defence Conference. We commented tho other day on tho fact thar in Ottawa and London Bluo, books had been issued dealing with tho Conference Wo were not then aware, although wo strongly suspected, ,that tho Australian Government had taken tho Commonwealth Parliament and public into its confidence. Australian newspapers now to hand, however, show that the Australian Government has as usual acted in a way that contrasts very un-' pleasantly with Sir Joseph Ward's roj grettable habit of treating tho nation's ' affairs as his own private business. j The Melbourne Age of Thursday, November 18, contains a news article beginning, as follows:

The Prime Minister made available last evening- tho official dispatchos relatingto tho secret Imperial Naval and Military Defence Conference in London, at which tho scheme for'the now Australian Navy was matured and tentatively adopted. Tho papers clarify or amplify many important points in tho scheme to which tho Imperial and Australian Governments now btand committed. At tho outset tho correspondenco relating lo the summoning of the Conference is given, including tho telegram 6cnt by Lord Dudley on April 15 outlining the Fisher Government's policy Next the speech made by Mr. Asquith in the House of Commons on August 2C describing the mam results o/ tho Conference is printed in full. This is fol-lo-ivpd by a statement, signed by the First Lord of the Admiralty, of a'series of official memoranda summarising the results of the Conference as regards (a) na\al and (b) military defence in Canada, Australia and Now Zealand. Mr. M'Kenna's statement shows that prior to tho Conference the Admiralty had formulated a fully rounded scheme, under which the Dominion Governments were recommended to "aim at forming a distinct fleet unit," No member of the New Zealand House of Representatives, apparently, hae considered it worth while to ask the Puime Minister to make public the information that everybody who has thought about the matter knows should bo mado public, and that is essential to any rational consideration of the country's duty in the matter of national defence. ?*fhat knowledge has the House of tho iioal position? Tho House is uttqrly in i tho dark as to the Admiralty's original suggestions at the Conference in respect of New Zealand.

Nothing - is certainly _'■ known to anybody, but Sie'Jo3EPh Wabd, arid even tte selected correspondence which he maae public makes it clear that he has stated the position entirely from his own point or view. ;■ The Admiralty 1 had no option save to adopt whatever. suggestion was put forward on behalf of; New Zealand, but Colonel Fox Ton could not have re- i peafcedly, urged ou Joseph to -.agree to an Australasian combination if the Adi miralty had not been willing or anxious that some such plan ■ should be adopted. The main point, however;'is that unless the TiuiiG Minister gives ;a full and faithful account of his work as New Zealand's paid delegate Parliament will not know what it is doing. There have been evidences already that in matters, of defence . tho'.. PiuiiE Minister considers that his word and his desires must command the country:: his opposition to compulsory military training, for example, was I maintained in defiance of public opinion, and during the short session he : intimated he would not consider himself bound by any resolution on the subject that Parliament might pass. ■ If,',- on tho second -reading of the Naval Dofenec Bill, which is a Loan Bill-pure and simple, Sin Joseph Wam> gives tho" House .further- information, or oven full informatiohy it will, be of little use.' ! The question Ha.one thatdomandß long and care'Ji4 thought jaadhow .muchi thought hav<j

mombors given■ to:jt so:far?; The Leader or; the Opposition, and, indeed, members generally, will bo neglecting their duty i I they do not, insist upon a' very early production of all save the confidential papere connected with the summoning and the transactions of the Defence Cdirftrenco. We shall have the-British Blue honk iii due course, but it may a i five too late. How many members of Parliament, we wonder, are aware that although tho Dreadnought offer was warmly praised, yet, since Mni Asquith announces the results of tho Conference, tho British Press, while _ overflowing with eulogies of the Canadian and Australian schemes, I have passed over New Zealand's scheme [ almost in silence? ■