PACIFIC NAVIES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1643, 9 January 1913, Page 7

PACIFIC NAVIES.

PLEA FOR CO-OPERATION. Br Telearaph—Press Association—Copyright Sydnay,'January 8. : Professor Laby, of Wellington, in the course of an interview, here, said' that tho matter ■of tho co-operation of New Zealand and Australia in tho creation of an, Australasian Navy, when first , mooted, aroused little, interest, -because New. Zealariders thought tho decision of twelve years ago-not to join tho Federation had finally closed 'such questions.' Recently, hiwever, ' the- leaders of public opinion and the press hail taken up the subject, but thovo yras still vory considerable reluctance to make any steps forward in this',-direction. New' Zealand, said the Professor, was oho. of the most loyal paTts of tho Empire. .Its people suspected, rightly or w.rorigly,; that Australians were not ,so much : concerned as themselves in the maintenance of tho , British connection.. They, saw what thoy' took to be evidence' thereof in the eviction of Lord Denman, tho Governor-General, from Government House, Sydney,'. and the. fact , that thb embryo ■ Australian Navy.: would . riot pass automatioilly in war time. to tho control .'of. the Admiralty; also in. the, Coin-, raonwealth's refusal .to • appoint n roprc-. sentative ion, the. Imperial,Defenco Com* niittbe; ' Personally, be favoured co-opera-tion, and it would be still more satisfac-. Tory if Australia, New Zealand, and Canada joined in th© m&intenahce,'of,a Pacific Fleet,