NAVAL POLICY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2297, 3 November 1914, Page 8

NAVAL POLICY

SIR JOSEPH WARD'S VIEWS. In dealing with the question of naval policy in his speech'at tlio Women's Political and Social League last night, : Sir? Joseph: Ward said :—"There 1 oan be. : Jittle ;doubt, in my -opinionj tliat, .once the' ivar is over, the magnificent, and, we ibelieve, impregnable, British Navy, which, has bottled up .t-lie German fleet in its- own waters, will not b'e required . ii.iv.-.sjicli:' numbers .around'■.-the'.;.British coast as-in the past, and ill the ordinary course of. events it is •probable that the Admiralty will place their surplus-yes-, sels at different points'of, the Empire. -Tills/has been impossible in the' past ■owing to the recognised : hostile attitude of Germany, and for prudent and ivollrecognised reasons it has been'necessary " to-have the main-fleet concentrated in tho North Sea,! • The Liberal, policy, so far- as navalj ; defence for : New Zealand is.concerned, may be, ; summed up' in these words: 'We stand by the Imperial Navy.'" • . - 'He : n - ent..onjtO'say that one i was proud of theifact'that■ New Zealand had;been .responsible., with the assistance of'.Australian and French warships, in securing Sam9a, andi it was a: source of pride, to all of us that our men were thero ui. possession.-. unless the. Imperial Navy, iiv Sea ; was so-strong' and powerfiiPas'to lock '"up the German Navy and to bo. admittedly its superior, .none-of tho German possessions in the Pacific could have been taken, or,-if. ;they 'had been .'taken, could have been" held. for''aiiy : facts quoted show that the - British Navy snould remain intact, and tio'staiid by it,-, establishing a; separate .local Navy • iviis the .•! safest-'- and "'wisest course for 'Neiv- ; Zealand to pursue. He ■ had . always • believed that we should have British warships patrolling the New Zealand coast and adjacent, waters; with ." i a'-base"inv - the i Dominion, and arrangements, were made 1, by} him witli' -the Britislv. in 1909- by winch two -Bristol cruisers, [three, destroyers, and . two ■ submarines were to ;be. permanently.- .quartered m these, waters; with Auckland, as a base. Had this arrangement been,car?, ned out, we'would liave had a portion of tho British. Fleet'in .New Zealand'

waters when hostilities "bfoke soutfavMote would have made us all'feel more 1 certain as to : the safety of tliV men who left, our shores-to. : figixt'for, tha;Empire. Ho.was strongly of'opinion that it j'as necessary that this''class .'of. ship should be upon ouiv coast.But- thoy, should be under the complete: control and direction: of tlie British .Admiralty. : - ' .The 'alternative to, an-arrangement of.; this kind was to imdertak'e :tlie ,burden - and responsibility of: a localjiiayy.'- To be of real service f ..the local navy necessarily mvist bo an' effective, one/ and the. financial; proposition for; such' an un'der-' talcing was,-.so huge that,. New Zealand could not'bear...it In view of the enormous financial responsibility which, this country had : to shoulder for internal development-, a local navy would be ' a dangerous proposition and practically, an impossible one: for the 'Dominion to carry,out. .It'woiild.mean th© imposi- 1 tion of'a considerableincrease 'in taxation, which in:, the course of p a few years would .assume proportions "'- that would ma£e it practically''unbearable. ■The establishment of;; a. local navy would, lead to enormous extra taxation and to the curtailment of'borrowing for' tlie completion of railways, roads and bridges, and thus retard to a considerable extent 'the 'progress of' tfto country.; Therefore we should continue' our contributions direct to the'lmperial Navy as far -as our means would permit,Vand, in return, hare (British warships upon our naval base .here; and with -the '/'already • made by. me;.for : the employ merit of New Zealaiiders on 'the vessels" attached to the New Zealand station.

,Jn any case,, until the war, is over and tlie _ Admiral ty' decide upbii.tho redistribution of/vessels, as must iu&vitablj be tli? .case, it. would surely 'be an-in-' sano, policy for this young country to take • upon- its . shoulders the enormous financial, responsibility- that a local navy would entail. Wo must'not allow our judgment arid common-sense to be warped on account of events now happening. It should be our duty even in times of .intense'feeling and excitement to consider with calmness and deliberation what our country can "stand, and we should not allow ourselves to be . led excitement of tile moment to do something whicli'wo would afterwards regret.;.. . '