THE NAVY

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 566, 8 November 1902, Page 3

THE NAVY

SIR JOHN FORREST’S OPINION'

By Telegraph—Press AssociationCopyright.

MELBOURNE, November 7. Sir John Forrest’s minute of the Imperial Conference has iieen published. lie thinks we must accept Admiral Beaumont’s opinion that it is 'beyond the power of the Commonwealth at the outset to create a force adequate for the defence of Australia. ’to provide even the small squadron proposed hv Admiral Beaumont would cost £3,000,000, as follows —Two first-class cruisers £1,000,000, six second-class £2,000,000 ; depots, Moires, naval yards £IOO,OOO. The maintenance of the squadron, if fully manned to enable it to successfully engage first-class cruisers of the enemy, together with two second-class cruisers and training ships and two thousand men, would probably cost £1,000,00u the capital cost. In the existing conditions tiierefore, lie does not recommend the establishment of an Austr 1a year, inclusive of five per cent on lian navy. lie fears it would not be very efficient, for besides the enormous cost of replacing the fleet from time to time with more modern .ships there would be no change of officers arid crews, who would go on year after year in the same ships, subject to the same influence, and with a deteriorating effect. lie advises that Australia should get no idea that it has different interests from those of the rest of the Empire. There is only one sea to !c supreme over, and we want one fleet to be mistress over that sea. He speaks of tiie desirability of having one fleet maintained by the whole nation, every part contributing to its support on the same plan, to be mutually arranged, probably on a rate comparative to each country and not necessarily on a uniform basis of construction. Arising out of this would be the consequent necessity of the oversea dominions of the Empire to he adequately represented at the Admiralty. He feels this could be arranged on a mutually satisfactory basis. In time o( war there could not be any division of responsibility, and until a more extended federation of the Empire is established that responsibility would have to rest on the Imperial Government. He urges that greater facilities 1* granted for locally-trained hoys entering tfie navy,.also making it easier for officers to enter the navy. He suggests a conference in London of u*presentatives of the colonies to discuss the strengthening of the naval defence of the Empire