NAVY AND EMPIRE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1899, 6 November 1913, Page 7

NAVY AND EMPIRE.

OVERSEA DOMINION FLEETS.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Oopyriclrt (Rec. November 5, 9 45 p.m.) London, November 5. Captain' Muirhead Collins, Secretary in London for tho Commonwealth Government, in a lottor to tho "Morning Post," detailing tho history of tho sourco of tho Australian Navy, says: "It is with satisfaction that Australians find that their navy policy is being accepted as meeting tho best requirements of Imporial defenco policy."

NEW ZEALAND FLEET DIVISION. (Reo. November 5, 9.45 p.m.) London, November 5. The Navy List for November shows that the warships Psyche, Pyrafnus, and To roll. (Commander H. C. Carr), compose tho New Zealand Division. SPEECH BY VICE-ADMIRAL FAWKES. (Rec. November 5, 10.30 p.m.) London, November 5. Responding to the toast of "The Defences of the Empire," at tho Cutlers' Feast at Sheffield, Vice-Admiral Sir 'Wilmot Fawkes (Naval Commander in Australia, 1905-08), said that tho most important naval point was the Empire Fleet. _ Australia had shouldered her responsibilities, and 1 got tho fleet under its own control, while New Zealand had decided to depart from tho 1903 agreement. He felt uncertain whether Britain could bo proud of that decision. It was important to know whether the Australian fleet would be composed 'of 'squadrons which would' como automatically under the Admiralty in war time; again, were they never' to come in peace? _ Was it to bo a fleet welded together in peace as well ns in war? For, if not ■ interchangeable in peace time, their navy ships would never be fit to oomo together in war. Tho Hon. T. MacKenzio (High Commissioner for New Zealand), said that until they could first weld together tho. various portions of tho Empire in common council, they would never weld a truly Imperial fleet. Tho Dominions could hardly bo oxpected to continue to build navies and hand them over without an adequate voice in Imperial affairs. He hoped that the t-imo was not distant when some form of Senate would bo established in which tho Colonies' ideals and aspirations would bo voiced.