OUR POLICY-WHAT?

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1642, 8 January 1913, Page 8

OUR POLICY-WHAT?

■ *■ -■' • TOWARDS THE.FLEET. IN THESE DAYS OF DANGER. [Contributed.] In the copy of the letter )jelow'"'Japaneso" has been substituted for "Imperial." Tokio, December 23, 1907. Monsieur lo Ministre,— . In reply to your note of even date, I have the honour to stato 1 that, al- . though the existing treaty between Japan . and Canada absolutely guarantees Japa--1 nese subjects full liberty to enter, travel, ' and reside in any part of the Dominion . of Canada, yet it is not the intention of : tho fJapanese] Government to insist upon .'■ the complete enjoyment of tho rights and privileges guaranteed by those stipulations when that would involve disregard of : special conditions which may prevail from time to time. "Acting in this spirit . . . the Government have decided ~'. . to restrict emigration to Canada so far as is compatible with the spirit of the treaty and the dignity of the ["Japanese] State. "Although, as stated in the note under reply, it was not possible for me to acquiesce in all of the proposals made by you on behalf of the Canadian Government, I trust that you will 'find- in the statement herein made,.proof of the earnest desire of the [Japanese] Government to promote ; ... the cordial andmutually beneficial- relations which, exist bet\veen our countries. '■, ..-■''.'■, ! ' '"I avail myself, etc.;. etc., ; . TADASU; HAYASHI. "The Honourable'Rodolphe Lemieux, "T0ki0.",.'.. .'.:.., i : ,: ■'-, This letter, studiously courteous - • and polite, refuses the slightest concession to Canada to restrict the immigrationof the Japanese into British Columbia. /-Japan will not admit-that, ami really leaves herself with complete liberty of action. It shows' clearly that Japan will not 111 future be.willing to allow.her.people to be. excluded from New Zealand anri Australia.' Asia—the Impending Conflict.. Wo must recognise then that our-'policy of excluding the Japanese is onewhich sooner or later Vill bring us into conflict with Jaban. Admittedly the situation is not at present acute so far as ,New_ Zealand is concerned. It may Vccome-so in Australia at any time. And, as has been shown above, the position' bf Japanese statesmen is a difficult one, 1 , and the Vapid increase of the-Japanese .-will'/fore*.'a determination of Australasia's right;to exclude a coloured people, overcrowded in their native land, from emigrating to par lands/which are sparsely populated. Our •policy, in this matter'is of course,most intimately: related to our naval "one. The Australian Naval Policy. ■'" Before a-naval policy for frew/Zealand "suited to the existing 'conditions, can bo arrived at, it. is 'necessary to consider what policy our sister Dominion, Australia, is pursuing. It is.only by well thought-out, correlated-action that. it. will be possible for us to.meet the situation confronting us. Admiral Sir -Reginald Henderson, K.C.8., at the invitation of Commonwealt,h Government,; reported generally on the establishment of an Australian navy. His report.was published in the Australian papers for March' 14,-1911. As Australia has•'■ /already -voted. J!3,. r iOO,OOO for her navy and appears to be following Admiral HendersonlsTeport, his proposals.are of.great moment to/New Zealand. He lays dowh/oertarh principles.' First that once: the command "of the, sea is.ltist by the Empire, : .nb .'local system 'of defence; naval or military,' could secure Australia's autonomy, and she'would' bo the prey bf the strongest : maratime. Power. "The primary object of an Australian navy, therefore, should bo the immediate support bf the"rest of'the Empire's, naval forces in their determination to retain the command of the sea : The geographical position of Australia, its .immense coastline, spafsely .populate'd 1 ' districts, large shipping; and coastal trade, and. their sea ' communications.-. require that ,'the secondary,-object should Ijo tho protection of ports and shippinj' from' raids and incursions from hostile ships and cruisers." Admiral Henderson further framed his report,in accordance with Lord Kitchener's memorandum on the defence of • Australia, and ho states "my proposals will admit of any, future naval developments in New Zealand and Pacifio Islands ; being readily fitted intb ohe complete, scheme." ...■■'•.''"' The actual nature aiid magnitude of Admiral Henderson's, proposals may possibly be most readily grasped by a "consideration -of.v. the•• naval expenditure .outlined ; in: his report. ..,,The population vof .Australia is one-tenth of that of Great Britain; whoso naval expenditure ;is -C 40,000,000 per year. Assuming that Australia 'spends the same, per -head, this makes her expenditure -£4,000,000 per year. On the basis 6f maritime trade, it would be, more than that. The Admiral's proposals cover, a period of 22 years, ahd-consequently an expenditure of At the end 6f-this period 'Australia would have a' fleet c6nsistingof—- ,/ ' .',-.;■ 8 Armoured : (battleship) cruisers,. - ."', 10 Protected cruisers.;:, ~' ./ ;. 18 Torpedo boat destroyers. ,12 Submarines. .j--; ' / 's: 4 Other ships. ■■"'. ■"■'■ .'■-. ■' .'52- ■•;.'./ ."-,. - ~• ','.. "''•'-. ..'. Such an ocean-going fleet:would/have a very real influence on the 1 Empire's sea ;powen ;-.'•', ,' '..-';"-.'■,-•:,' '} , r• Cost of Flsat and Harbour Works up to :■-. 1933,. >i ■ ; ■ of ships, etc./..'... i 25,000,000 Harbour works,. docks 12,000,000 Maintenance of. ships per year, j ■■•■-' •J780.000, rising to 46,000,000 ' Replacement of out-of-datoships '5,000,000 Totalover 22 year 5..;..... -£88,000,000 The above figures are calculated from more detailed figures in Admiral Henderson's ■ report. The £12,000,000 for-docks does not appear to. be explicitly stated by him.. --.■ ' . .The,Australian-NavyV AdmirarHender-' son proposes, should be under the control of a Naval Board of five members, the: Minister for Defence being the first member. While the.drganisation of the Navy, the construction of tho ships, tho training of the officers and men, and the discipline in the Australian Navy are to follow closely the English Navy, yet-it is not a-part of the.latter Navy under the control of the Admiralty. ■ Those who/-pay for it will naturally wish to'control'it.,.- But,what is of, greater importance in the present connection is that in the time' of war it does not automatically pass under the control of the Admiralty. -The Australian Navy, when war breaks out.iwould be placed under tho Admiralty if tho Commonwealth Ministry (or Parliament?) so decided. This matter, will be ■referred' to later.,... Our Naval Policy and Australia. / ( The naval policies of New Zealhnd and Australia are, of 'course, "very .'different. : Both, however, are the first among the Dominions to recognise., their obligations : as peoples of independence and courage , to bear part of the Empire's brirden of ! naval defence. But, underlying tho two : policies, there is n difference of opinion ! of fundamental and far-reaching 'import- . ance. - ' •. i I Our gift of, a ; Dreadnought expresses the ; viow current amongst' us tl\at tho , gravest danger to the British na!val' su- ; premacy is the German f!eet, ; and further it implc.es that to entrust to Jap*nn the ' protection of our interests in the Picific, ; as wo have dono since 1905, is, : in our ■ opinion, a satisfactory foliey. . - The Australian policy exnr'esses the view ' that there should be a British fleet in ' the Pacific, and' that, the exclusion of ' Asiatics may need to be backed -up by ' force of arms. If it were we would have an excellent illustration of Clausewirz's statement that "war is tho continuation : of policy by other means,"' New Zealand ! also excludes Asiatics, but wo could not effectively continue that policy, in the ' face of an attempt to break it dwvn by an Asiatic naval power, except with the ' help of other parts of the Empire not : resnonsible for tho policv. 'I The main point is tliat Australia is I preparing against Asiatic,, .aggression, i while New Zealand's action implies that ■ •wo regard it to be an-imaginary'danger. ' Tt should bo said that Australia.has given in the press and Parliament much greater : consideration to this mntter than . we have, and the leaders of tho'narty (the ' Labour party), which i« establishing an i Anstralion N-svy, ar» ..the.last men to -i snend tho millions they. 'have', without 1 they have convincing evidence tha{ it isrouli bißflrOoiu sot to do «. JL(