NAVAL DEFENCE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1726, 18 April 1913, Page 4

NAVAL DEFENCE.

WHAT NEW ZEALAND INTENDS. The Sydney ''Sun" recently published, mi _ article by ,1s i, om j on correspondent, wmch stated in effect that Now Zen land. •.voud before long commence to build .1. loc;U_ Navy, and would eventually aslc for rt-lwt rrom her contributions to'tho .British Navy. , Tho accuracy of thii report was denied oy the Prime Minister when the matter was brought under his nolico yesterday New Zealand he stated, had no present: intention of building ships, and evidently tho Suu article had been written b'v someone with a very fertile imagination:-'. Air Allen has had several conferences with tho Imperial authorities or. tho subject of naval defence for New Zealand," added Mr. Masscy, "and when ho returns to the Dominion he will report the result to his colleagues. Until then nothing' further will ixj. done. I may say, however, that like Mr. Allen. I believe that some modification of tho present arrangement will bo proposed, and you may Iw quite- sure of this, that anything that may bo suggested by the New Zealand Government will lx? for tho benefit both of tho Empire and our owr Dominion. Any proposals that wo.hav« to make will be submitted to Parliament in due course. More than, that I cannot say at present,"