NEW ZEALAND & THE NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1700, 17 March 1913, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND & THE NAVY.

The English papers which arrived by Saturday's mail give much prominence to the various ceremonies attendant upon the departure of tho battle-icruiser "New Zealand" on her tour of the Empire. The largest real interest attaches to the statements of the Hon. James Allen as to the naval policy of this country. Although Mr. Allen did not fail to remind the British public that' he cannot by himself commit the Government of this country to an immediate and definite policy, his speeches attracted unusual attention, ' _ He was quite definite, however, in his assurances that "the policy of the . past—simply to pay the subsidy—cannot be a permanent arrangement." "Something -more must be done," he said in a widelycirculated' interview with a Rcutsr representative, "to stimulate what I consider should be Now Zealand's proper attitude on Imperial Naval Defence, and the only way in which that stimulus can be provided is by New Zealand taking a more definite interest in the Navy. I do not believe that she can ever do her duty properly until she not only provides tho money, but utilises that money ( in a way in which her -interests arc more _ cleiirly shown than by direct contribution. In > time to come she must provide men for the fleet.." He then reiterated bis conviction that Canada, Australia, and New Zealand could unite in maintaining j a fleet, the only difficult question, that of control, not being impossible of solution. / No New Zealander who has' thought seriously about the subject —indeed, very .few New Zealanders at all—doubt any longer the wisdom of departing from the old subsidy system to which, it would seem, the member for Awarua is still attached, without giving any sound reason for his attachment to it. On-February 3, Mh. Allen, in a speech delivered on board the battle-cruiser, spoke still more emphatically upon tho necessity that New Zealand should contribute to tho Empire's naval defence something better than money. If the Empire needed any further aid, it would be given. "We realise," he said, "your home dangers, but we rcaliso our own necessities as well, and wo will give willingly to keep the Pacific a safe road for our vessels." He said also: "It is not enough _ for us to offer our money and ships. I ■ say unhesitatingly that there is a growing opinion in New Zealand that men should be offered. And tho men will bo forthcoming." We may leavo those people who like to do so to assail Mii. Allen for offering to establish a press-gang, and drive New Zealanders by force on board the ships of war, or any other distortion of his words they may choose to mnko to serve their ends. The rest of us

will 1 agree that Mji. Allen has read aright the stirrings of New Zealand opinion. And there is abundant evidenee that precisely, the same spirit is growing strong in Canada as in Australia. In ail article inspired by Mr. Allen's speeches, the London Times deals with the . new movement towards local naval development, incidentally emphasising the necessity of a central direction of the Imperial fleets. Some time must elapse, it points out, before local fleets can really increase the effective strength of the Empire, but that is no reason why there should be delay in the development of local activity.

The Pacific (it says), is not at present a threatened sphere, and time may well bo taken, while New Zealand is working out her responsibilities, as Colonel Allen suggests, to frame a Pacific policy on wellconsidered lines. That, as wo have often urged, is a subject for conference between all the Governments concerned, and we trust that such a conference may be held ill due course. The New Zealand set out yesterday alone, but she carries with her the promise of a fleet, not yet in being, which some day will sail the outer seas as the Empire's naval patrol.

An inspiriting feature of the current discussion of Imperial naval defence is the sanity and thoroughness with which the different questions are discussed. One cannot but feel that the day of platitude has ended, and the day of thought and action has fairly begun. The light has broken at last through the fog of empty rhetoric: the Imperial Navy has ceased to be a thing to talk of only at banquets; and it is something to be glad of.