NAVAL POLICY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1905, 13 November 1913, Page 6

NAVAL POLICY.

AXD THE 1909 AGREEMENT.

Bio Minister of Defence (the Hon. J. Allen) replied in the House of Bepresf/ntativeft yesterday to a .question put last week by (ho Leader of tlio Opposition (Sir Joseph \Var<!). The c-flecfc of the question was whether .any protest had been made Ivy the Now Zealand Government against tlio variation of the -agreement iimdo w-itl: Use Admiralty in 1909.

The Hon. Jf, Allen tttplicd as follows; —"Thft honourable gentleman is no tloulij, aware that by tlio 1009 agree lue.ut' a China unit of tlio. proposed pacific Fleet war, to fee established', and that- tlio Noiv Zealand halt It ship was ■to ho tlio flagsr.ip of this unit. .This agreement was departed irom early in 191'2, when tho Government thoij.. in office cfiii.sofi.ted to tho Ne.w Zealand biilticsLin being; placed at the disposal of tlio Admiralty for tithe? purposes (ban as flags'ilip of the China unit) The. present Government concurred in this alteration of tho 1909 agreement. Tho honourable gentleman is also awaro that under tlio arrangement made with! tlio Right Honourable M'Keima in 1909, the wliole. of tlw Qliinrt. .unit jsas to bo completed before tlio end of 1912., olid tiiai_ a portion of the unit was to remain in ftow Zealand waters. As regards ill is position tho Primp Miivister in his memorandum has explained why tho Admiralty, in view' of Wore urgent necessities, does not dceiu it desirable to station .in Now Zealand waters two Bristol type cr'uis.ets, ,Tb<S matter was thoroughly discussed with the Admiralty, and tlio departure from tlio 1909 agreement Was represented'by' me wlien in Rutland. Bj'e requirements for tho general strategic disposition of naval strength jic.ces.sary in tlie interests of tho Empire as a wliolo must be decided by tlio Imperial authorities."