QUESTION OF AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2235, 12 November 1907, Page 2

QUESTION OF AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE.

IMMIGRATION SCHEMES

United Press Association—'Copyright MELBOURNE, November 10.

Lord Northcote, Governor-General, speaking at the Lord Mayor’s banquet! last night referred to risks the country must find itself exposed to so long as it had not a population adequate for its development and defence. No doubt it was difficult to set the tide of'immigration flowing, but it was a task which could be achieved by the cordial co-operation of tho Commonwealth States. He could not but realise when in the Northern Territory what a magnificent harbor Port Darwin is, how un-pi-otected, and what shelter it would give to an enemy who would be able to land troops there.

Mr. Deakin, in responding, said the task of the Commonwealth with the tariff out of the way, which he placed in the first rank of the great national tasks was the necessity for naval military defence. They owed it t.o themselves and the Empire to make the system of defence reasonably adequate. Settlement of the Northern Territory was not the least of the other issues- to bo dealt with. If the States -find the land tho Commonwealth would find the men. He proposed to submit to Parliament a schemo for bearing tlie whole of -tlie expense connected with immigration to Australia, and had placed the sum of £200,000 on the Estimates for bringing people to Australia.