AUSTRALASIAN SQUADRON.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2124, 5 July 1907, Page 1

AUSTRALASIAN SQUADRON.

THE COLONIES AND THE NAA 7 AL AGREEMENT. AIR. REID’S SPEECH. Air. G. H. Reid’s speech at the Sydney Alissions to Seamen on June 2lst was briefly- reported by- cable. According to the Sydney Telegraph, Air. Reid said he road with pride the statement bv Sir Joseph AVard, in the newspapers that day, witli respect to Hie proposal of the Commonwealth to withdraw the naval subsidy. New Zealand was very small compared with Australia, hut since federation had begun in great phases which touched the Imperial instinct, it had always been, not the Prime. Alinister of Australia, hut the Premier of New Zealand who led the way. Sir Joseph.led the way again. He said, “We are not going to tear up this agreement which wo entered into with the Alother Country and ratified by Act of Parliament. We are not going down on our knees to. this Alother Country to ask her to let us off the only penny- wo pay- to hey. lor the Britisli fleet.’’

'Wherever the little bit of buntingflew, said Mr. Reid, it made them safe over all the nations. He believed in having an Australian navy just as he believed in all those things in the Creed. He could not carry it out, but he believed in it. ter.) He believed in a navy, but he wanted tq geo the chap who was going to give it to him. Ho was not prepared to put a burden on the people of Australia like the people of England had to pay. When he began with an Australian navy, he was going to begin op jj small genie'. Riant the little 3'cpiru V it was a great thing. They wanted to have a mercantile fleet of their own, and with its development they would want men-o’-war, too. He looks at the big sides of H.M.S. Powerful with g feeling of deep gratithfle, (Laughter.) Ret them have that Australian nav.v hut, until they got it, let them g.) on paying to the Mother Copntry. (Applause.) To come forward aiu( say that we -wanted to get quf of this solemn, ratified,' parliamentary bargain jn order to spend the £200,000 on something else fliey ought to do themselves, was one of the phases of Australian loyalty in its most eloquent state. (Laughter and applause.) In conclusion, Mr. Reid said he would stand by the Premier of New Zealand and say that ho one should tear.up that little deed between the Mother Country and themselves. They might, from a sense of shame, give a little more. He hoped that in the years to come there would be

no power on earth that would lessen the ties between the people of Australia and the men of tbV) British fleet. (AppiquoQ.f