THE PACIFIC ISLANDS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 199, 11 May 1918, Page 13

THE PACIFIC ISLANDS

AN EMPHATIC MINISTERIAL DECLARATION.

Addressing an enthusiastic gathering at the Sydney Millions' Club recently, the Cornmoinrtolth Jlinister for the Navy. (Mr Joseph Cook) s.ifd:—"Let us talk no more of pence. The time is not yet when we can discuss terms of pence. United harmony is a thing: we have Ixen hearing much about lately. I believe there is a' great ileal more cf it among the citizens of Australia than there is among the- poliicians if .Australia jtist. now. (Lond applause) Down deep there Hows a stream of steady patriotism among the Australian people which needs only to he awakened and roused. 1 wish to utter a warning to Australians regarding a. certain kind cf mischievous talk, not only in certain quarters out side, but, I regret to say, inside, the Federal Parliament. Only yesterday we heard, for the tenth time, I should imagine, that those miserable clods of earth in the Pacific should bo given back to Germany at the earliest possible moment. When I hear this kind of talk I wonder whore those men's intelligence is. AVe had only last week a statement in tho Federal Parliament that there were no navnl bases in the Pacific. Great heavens! Tn one river alone in New Guinea you could pack r.ll the fleets of Europe, and German New Guinea is only 150(1 miles from here. If the Germans should cany out their programme, as proclaimed to the world, to get their colonies back, and to train all the natives there for defensive purposes, it would mean that Australia would renuiro to keep a huge standing army. It is not liberty, but an abuse of liberty, to be talking in this treasonable way inAustralia while the enemy is thundering at the gates. I am going to London to help the Primo Minister, nnrt T am going-' to stand IxOiind Mm while he urges that ,we should retain the islands to tho last gasp. (Great applause.) They are vital to our future security here. For the rest, we shall yo with open minds, looking into all the ereat problems to be considered, believing in our hearts that we shall best serve the interests of Australia bv tryinir to Iceop together fh" mighlv British Empire in trust for the. whole of. civilised_ mankind. T believe the British Empire rcthe great 'winning rouse of civilisation throughout the world. Our backs :\re to tlio wnli, and as before, bo now, we shall win through by the triumphant might of the British race." (Applause.)