ARMY & NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1731, 23 April 1913, Page 7

ARMY & NAVY.

"BLUE WATER" OR "BLUE FUNK" SCHOOL? DOMINIONS' PART IN DEFENCE. QUESTIONS IN LORDS & COMMONS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Rec. April 22, 9.35 p.m.) London, April 22. In tho House of Lords, in tho discussion on tho Army Annual Bill, Lord Midleton suid that the danger of invasion had increased sinco Lord Httldano's scheme of 1907. He.asked how tho Government is going to get the requisite number of men required for tho territorial forces. j

Lord Haldane replied that tho Committee of "Imperial Defence Was investigating the problem. The existing scheme was based on tho fact that Britain was an island Power, responsible for a great Empire. Voluntary service would enable her to maintain the.: Army and Navy she required. Tho country should not bo unduly nervous. It was unnecessary to belong either to the "Blue Water" school, which did not believe in the possibility of invasion, or to th« "Blue Funk" school, which was living in daily fear of invasion. . Lord Curzon appealed for the appointment of a conference composed of the leaders of both parties to endeavour to solve the Army question. A LOCAL NAVY. MR. CHURCHILL WILL NOT DIS- , CUSS IT. (Rec. April 22, 8.5 p.m.) London, April 21. Mr. It. L. Outliwaite, M.P. for Hanley, alked in the Commons whether tho Admiralty were aware that endeavours had been made by the Australian Government to induce New Zealand to co-operate in a local navy, when tho. Admiralty requested that New Zealand should allow its battle-cruiser to be added to the first cruiser squadron. Also, whether it was tho Admiralty's policy to isolate the Commonwealth in its endeavours' to safeguard Imperial interests in the Pacific.

Mr. Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, replied: "No" to both questions, He had had; he said, the advantage of a long discussion with Mr. Allen, 'New Zealand Defence Minister, and ho was fully advised as to the situation in Australasia. , (Bee. April 22,: 11.45 p.m.) ' London, April 22. In the House of Commons, Mr. Winston Churchill declined to discuss during qtlestion-timo whether it was mora effectual for the Dominions to provide additions to-tho Imperial Navy or to undertake the building of a local navy. -HARMONIOUS ACTION WANTED. (Eec. April 22, 1.45 p.m.) , ■ ' London, April '22. Admiral Prince Louis of Battcnberg, First Lord >of tho Admiralty, speaking at a meeting of tho Union. Jack Ciub, urged harmonious action in regard to •the.Army arid Navy.There wa9 110 moro foolish or mischievous statement than to say .that tho Fleet ; alono was sufficient to keep the enemy , from- Britain's shores. A' sufficiently-trained professional' army was quite as necessary as the Navy.