NAVAL DEFENCE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1922, 3 December 1913, Page 4

NAVAL DEFENCE.

HOW TO EASE THE LOAD,

AN AUSTRALIAN PROPOSAL

JOIMT ACTION DY DOMINIONS.

Possible naval developments iii tho l'aei/ic are interestingly reviewed bailie. Mo'lbouriK! "Aae." Ji sets out from ;i contention that Australia is committing itsoir with an expenditure, upmi defence which it cannot possibly maintain. At the present rain of prop-ess, it, is submitted, it seems probable tint's the taxpayer of 1018 will bo called upon to foot a mililarv and naval budivct of £10,0110,000 per annum, "Five "y« U s hence," the article continues, "we may have, a population of n little over 5,000,000, so that wo shall then picsent tho unique spectacle at* a country ajtogctber remote trim the radiiis of diplomatic intrigue—and, according to ex-Prrsalent Taft, with no reason to fear attack from the greatest of Asiatic Powers—loading itself with preparations for war at a cost of a little tuukr S?2 per head. The- majniiUi.le of our scare-raising effort may bo gathered from facts quoted in the 'Australian Year Uoolr,' which show that Great Britain spends on the defence, of Urn Empire 31s. i)d. per head; France, 275, Gd.; Germany, 18s. !)d.; and Sweden, 10s. Sd. "Predisicus Outlay." "Would any srtiio man maintain the, necessity for our prodigious outlay! l Are wo bo much at tho mcroy of a-ny predatory marauder who would rob us of cur heritage, that wo must beggar ourselves, to frighten him olf ? Can a young country, on tho threshold of its nation-

al existence—with An enormous territory unoccupied and awaiting development, with railways to build, cities to establish, waterways to construct, roads to make, and her people to Ims encouraged iii tiie evolution of it prosperous and enlightened civilisation—put up with such a Waste of money and cnonjy as will bo invoiwd in tho. proposed senseless safeguard against an improbable invasion. For many years past 'The Ajjo' has preached the (sosnel that national security commanded the provision of land and sea forces equal to tho resistance of any possible buccaneer, who, if l;.e made- such a foolhardy attempt, would come here in the form of a small expeditionary force, Wo »cvw at any, time contemplated an army of 500,000.soldiers, or a fleet-of 52 ships, costing .£88,51)0,000. A ■ former leader of the Labour party once declared that £000,000 per annnm ; > Wils a sufficient expenditure on defence. That would bo rather ridiculous. According _ta the. lavish idea of a later date, such a- sum would barely pay the salary of tho numerous commissioned and Warrant officers, for whom Admiral Henderson p»* vided. But on tho basis of a population of (5,000,000, in fifteen years' time we might iix £.1,000,000 per annum as the maximum of our military and naval budget, or roughly 15s. per head, a. larger disbursement per capita than that of Italy, 13s. Od.; Spain, 10s. 5d.; Russia, 6s. 7d., or tl'w- United Staves, Vis. 10d., or Japan, 4s. Gd. "A Colossal Armada." "When the Government enters upon its curtailment of the Henderson programme the first abject to which atI t'ention should bo directed is tho posI sible reduction in the. number of naval bases. There are to bo seventeen of ! theso establishments distributed all [-.round the coast, mid affording, in thrfr 1 total accoainiodatiati, organising, security, victualling) Storage, instructional and gunnery centres sufficient for tho combined Hoots' of Kuropo.'" Whatever happens., it may ho taken for granted that Admiral Henderson's colossal armada will ho revised to' reasonable proportion)!. In that case we shall not want such a formidable array l! dockyards, workshops and coaling stations, or whatever else tho various headquarters may Iso intended to provide, In a riot of extravagant provision the Government's naval adviser set aside no less a sum than £18,825,01)0 for doe.'ts and works. Did -lair R-egiiiald Henderson over ponder the financial aspect of .his scheme, or give any thought to tho possiblo inability of Australia to raise so much money? Wo pointed out in a previous article that the Admiral had evidently gono into this investigation of Australia's naval requirements with a determination of piling up the e.gony of responsibility until the country would groan for release. Tho British Admiralty has always been opposed to any set* ting up of local navies, and wished to continue the system of subsidies to tho Imperial licet." If ho had wanted _ to tonvinco Australia that her aspirauoiifl for national safety drawn from her own resources were all moonshine, tho wild dream of an overcharged imagination, lie could not lwvG, sono about- his task with greater zeal or adorned it with more lurid effects."

Partial Responsibility. "To what extent tiio scheme generally should hc> diminished, in order to squaro with otir capacity to pay I'll© bill, ran bo decided only after very careful reflection," the "Ago" continues. "One/it the 'main purposes of the Australian ileet, when its establishment was und>r discussion, was described tis tins p'olioing of the Pacific.' In that obligation * o liavo only a partial responsibility. Now Zealand and Canada are equally. concerned for the maintenance ot a. foieu to be a warning to ambitions Asiatm neighbours that British interests are ot paramount importance both ni tlio northern and f'hc southern spheres oftlu; Teat ocean that, divides America irom tiio eastern world. Tltft New Zealand 11 mister of Defence spoke recently m admiration of what Australia is doin,j t and there, was a note of regret in his observations that the. Dominion haw not given nroro attention to local defense m eonjmictioia with her gift to Great Britain of a Dreadnought. Canada is about to embark oil an independent.- naval policv, and no doubt a feature o-l her scheme. w»U Is© « Vvs\(k patrol to protect the commerce- «f h« western coiv-t, "Could not these three gieal soltgovt'i'iiing dominions ;iL 't ■n> . concert for the securing 01 • British, interest* in the l»a«ilic should iiiey « menaced by a hostile Power r" Iho miostinn is really one for nn .Imperial conference, because Great HriUm, apart from her i indiny: interest and tornliirial possessions, has a wide sphere- <i£ iiiiluenee on the eastern Asiatic hUmul, which she must maintain at all luiMrtu. liufc the Kronp of Little Inlanders who direct the destines of the Umpire just now are hi indirffreut lo the well-beins lif their oversea partners ami. dependents that they decline- to discuss matters 01 Imperial moil-.i'iit: ". , .

A Suggostci! Partiici'ship,

"The two Dominions mid. llio Coininoiiwoiiltli should thereforo. take joint jii'linii-on their own account. Our shitfbnildin;; iii'oarainni,i> mijjiit bo sus|;.end> ed for n timo, ami tho Cnvoi-ninem, uko sli'jis to outer into a conference with Canada and Now Zealand, and Set 'it be mutually determined what, each should do for combined and sesravirte protection. If srnuo satisfactory in-.tio-r» rit.uuiittg wvro reached, it might nht.i 1 ato tho folly of Ausi-roliii tortifyiiii* torsoli' with n iiiivy about live im**"- 1 ' largo as shfl i-iiii afford, and possibly ten fifties larger than s.l» would c'vor viced. At any rale tin; Henderson ■■l'''?' lii'awnio must, bis rinkliy todlteed.. V'fi arc not clm]loiißi.n K tiio earth .to niortal combat. Let us join witli tlio JnipW'f brotherhood on the, Paoifi-c in odiistfiirt" ins; si niiiKunaWo ami moderate i*"l° ol naval dctV.-u.ee thai, will be a c.fooie to ihi-, wisdom awl Voret-kiftclit! »' * liratl-ical, comnwji-scMso .people"