DOMINIONS AND THE NAVY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2138, 2 May 1914, Page 5

DOMINIONS AND THE NAVY

' THE 19G9 AGREEMENT AND A RECENT BLUE BOOK By TelGgra.fri!.—Pi'ess Association—Copyright London, April 30. In the Honso of Commons, Sir. Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, informed Mr. R. Hunt (.TJnioilist) that the Admiralty's statement (published in a lihns Book last month) concerning the 1909 aftattgoweiit, contained matter which it was not in the public interest to publish. On April 21 last a cable message reported the publication <rf a Blue Book oofitaiaing the correspondence between Harcoiirt (Seer-ctuiy of State for the Colonics) anil the Australasian .Governments up to April 1. Tho, Commojivroalth in August last inquired as to nonprovision for the flhifla and Mast Indies units., in pursuance of the 1909 agree* merit, and asked whether circumstances had aiisoa to necessitate an alteration, it offered, jf necessary, to attend a conference, 31r, Harcourt forwarded the Admiralty's reply concerning the fcvrfyinsr out of the 19U3 arrangement, and inti mated that ii the Commouwwiith to confet with tlx© Imperial Government ho would welcome representatives in IM4. Ho also invited New Zealand to consider the matter of participation in a ::onfercitee. The Commwm-eaitk replied in March to the effect, that, owing to the early meeting of Parliament, it wouki be impossible to send a Minister ta London in 391 i, but_ suggested that a full conference, including representatives of all tlio self-governing Dominions, bo held. M» Harcoj-irfc replied Uiftt in iha stances the question of a Defer: eo Conference must foe postponed.