BRITAIN'S PACIFIC FLEET.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1080, 20 March 1911, Page 5

BRITAIN'S PACIFIC FLEET.

WHAT FORCE IS NEEDED ? TWELVE ARMOURED CRUISERS SUGGESTED. VIEWS OF "THE TIMES." By Tclcßrapli—Pijess Association—Copyrieht (Uec. March 19, 5.5 p.m.) London, March 18. "The Times" declares it is curious, and. perhaps significant, that tho House of : Commons in tho Navy debates lias been almost silent upon the Dominions' pro-, parations to assist the Motherland in sea' defence. Admiral Sir It. Henderson's report on tho Australian Navy has attracted wido attention, as likewise has Sir Joseph. Ward's speech at Sydney. The Dominions ' recognise by their past co-operation that changes may ocjur rendering it advisable 1 to re-establish their basis of a Far East- I ern fleet in which it will l>o necessary , to include Dreadnoughts. I If Admiral Henderson's proposals are accepted Australia may provide two armourcd cruisers in 1015, instead of one. ; If India, Ceylon, and the Straits Settle- j ments combine with Australia to provide. tho moiety of an Eastern fleet, the Homeland could not decline to supply the other . half. Twelve armoured cruisers in the Pocifio, 1 concludes "Tho Times," would be none too ninny. THE SCHEME OF 1903. At the Conference on Imperial Dofenco hold in London in 100'J it arranged to remodel tho snuadims maintained in Far Eastern waters on the basis of a Pacific licet, to consist of three units in the East Indies, Australia, and China seas respectively, each unit to comprise, with somo variations, a largo armoured cruiser of tho now Indomitable type, three secondclass cruisers of tho Bristol type, six destroyers of tho "River" class, and three submarines of tho "C" class. For tho battlesliips altered by New Zealand and Australia respectively, it was suggested to substitute cruisers of t):.e new Indomitable typo, these two ships to bo maintained, one in the China and ono in tho Australian seas. Tho following distribution of tho Dominion forces and tho means for their provision was also proposed: That tho Commonwealth Government should provide and maintain, with somo temporary j assistance from Imperial funds, the Australian unit of the Pacific fleet; that tho' contribution of tho New Zealand Government should bo applied towards tho maintenance of the China unit, tho New Zealand armoured cruiser to lie stationed in China waters, but some of the smaller vessels of this unit to have their headquarters in New Zealand waters. A liopa was expressed that eventually South, Africa might come into this scheme.