NAVAL DEFENCE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1839, 27 August 1913, Page 5

NAVAL DEFENCE.

PRESENT POSITION; MINISTER FAVOURS CLOSE UNITY. Tho Minister for 'Defence (the Hon. J. Allen) made a short statement to a Dominion reporter yesterday in comment upon recent cabled references as to tho conditions of the Empire's sea defences. Regarding tho "Morning Post's" opinions, as cabled, the Minister admitted that it was impossible to outline Now Zealand's: naval policy, but spoke in a manner that showed ho had given tho matter very careful thought, and that ho saw no xeason to deviate from his consistent belief that the "• main essential of unity in naval defence on tho part of the overseas Dominions is complete co-operation in respect to action at a critical period. Tile policy of 1909, he said, had been broken. Ho could not disclose the suggested policy of -New Zealand, but tho 1909 agreement had not been carried out, from tho point of view of the Mother Country. It included tho formation of three units, as they wero then called, in the Pacific. Those fleet units were defined clearly under tho agreement, and t.hey were cpnstituted with a particular object. That object was to give a fairly decent opportunity for a career for officers and men. Theso three fleet units were Australia, China., and East Indies. Tho Australian unit was to be created by Australia and the Mother Country, tho latter to contribute a quarter of a mililon for a certain number of years.' Australia, however, deoid'ed to pay this money herself and relievo the Motfter Country of this responsibility. Tho China unit and tho East Indies units are now noil est, and a;s far as ho knew there wa.s no inten-' tion to create them. ' •

.New Zealand, he added,' had fulfilled her part of the bargain, which was to build a battleship which was to form tho flagship of the Obi.ua Tinit. Sho had built it and paid for it, and instead of that ship forming the flagship of tho China, unit, tho Mother Country had asked the Dominion to lot tho siliip remain in British waters, and the request was granted without any (hesitation. "That is tho position to-day," said Mr. Allen. "What the position- will be in a few weeks' time I can't tell you.

"Tho only feasible thing that I can see," lie said in conclusion, "is either an allianco of tho Dominions .witli the Mother Country, which 1 don't beldcvo in>, of a closo_ cooperation, which moans, as I have said in tho Budget, 'for Imperial purposes Imperial control.' "