CANADIAN NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1697, 13 March 1913, Page 5

CANADIAN NAVY.

LOCAL CONSTRUCTION. THE COST PROHIBITIVE. By Telegraph—Prcßs Aesociation' -Copyright Ottawa, March 11. The Prime Minister (Mr. Borden), in the course of the naval <lebuto in the Dominion House, produced Mr Churchill's memorandum showing that the cost of construction of warships in Canada was prohibitive. The increase in cost was not less tliun twenty-five to thirty per cent. A Canadian plant for battleship construction would cost .£15,000,000, and would require five years to erect. >Such an outlay was only justified if Canada decided to build a number of first-class battleships yearly. The Premier emphasised the great difficulty Great Britain was experiencing in manning the fleet since Germany had increased her number of ships. If Canada established two units, on© in the Atlantic and another in the Pacific, too many men would ho required to be taken from the British forces, and the strain would becomo greater than the Admiralty was likely to ]>e ablo to meet. OPPOSITION CRITICS. (Bee. March 12, 9.5 p.m.) Ottawa, March 12. Mr. D. B. Neely, member for Humbolt, in speaking in the Naval debato, asked if Canadians were willing to hand over the palm for genius and self-reliance to Australians, for while Australians were able and willing to defend the Pacific, Canadians were told by Mr. Borden that they cannot do so. '

Mr. , Emmerson declared that' Lord North's mistake had lost Britain her American colonies, and conceivably Mr. Winston Churchill's latest Naval memorandum might lose to tho Empire Canada and Australia. The people of Canada were disinclined to bow down before an Admiraltyj Lord. Lord North was Prime Minister of England at tho time of the American War of Independence. ; FUTURE POLICY. (By Telegraph.—Prere Association.) Auckland. March 12. , On the subject of naval defence, the Hon. G. E. Foster (Canadian Minister for Trade and Commerce), who is passing through Auckland, said any difference of opinion in Canada was really more a party matter than a national one. It was only as to the question of method. The idea of a free battleship was considered by the Government to bo a more speedy way of helping tho Old Country and the Empire, but that was only a preliminary part of the Government programme, and was looked upon in 'the light rf an emergency contribution. It was Hot argued that the future policy would not include what might be called direct Canadian co-operation in both men and vessels. If this was realised, the three warships that would be built would be available .for inclusion in the permanent system when one was devised.