War Risks

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 35, 2 September 1886, Page 3

War Risks

The London correspondent of the Christchurch Press writes : — The question of a State guarantee of war risks was opened up by the reading of a paper by Mr Baden-Powell on the subject. He pointed out that tho Australian colonies had already moved in the matter, it having been there agreed that common action should bo taken by the Governments of all colonies for the purpose of providing for the indemnification of persons whose property, in case of war, may be sacrificed for the purpose of preventing aid to the enemy's force. Such a scheme, extended over the whole of the Empire, would be a fresh bond or uniting principle that would be of material aid to its prosperity and progress. He advocated the rehabilitation of privateering, the declaration of the Treaty of Paris condemning that practice being practically a dead letter. Such a rehabilitation would enable all British merchantmen to be armed in time of war at no expense whatever to the State. A great proportion of Euglish merchant steamers would always be of superior speed to average men-of-war, and their collision bulk- heads and other means of flotation in case of accidents are daily growing in efficiency. Machine guns aiid torpedoes wore inexpensive moans of offence and defence. Moreover, as ally" jrrikes captured by privateers ssh-mld-iio takeu into port in order to ■prove ownership before being adjudiuuttiil upon, and as in our numerous c*d;Vui'i*w*'we possessed such courts and ports; iv' evory corner of the world, th.*fc would prove a most favorable factor 'for us, as the opportunity of recapture would all be on the sido of the English. If British merchantmen we*..-' allowed to thoroughly arm themeelves, an attack on British trade would become a work of such gigantic ln-i^'nitu-Ur that it might well daunt tho -most ambitious of nations. On this subject- Mr Graham again spoke,' drawiiig-Attfe'ntion to the fact that we ■were- loiing^* the best men of our mercantile marine, who were being replaced by foreigners, and hoping that Naval Reserve men might be found to man our fast steamers.