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Hokitika Guardian, 17 October 1933, Page 4

“The history of the British race for a thousand years, during its evolution from a savage tribe to the British Empire of to-ctay, is a history always associated with the sea,” says Sir George Pearce, Commonwealth Minister of Defence, when announcing the new defence policy. “Our very existence has always depended, and still depends, on the safety of our trade, (and hence on our sea communications. We are a great maritime Power, and a maritime Power can only be destroyed by internal dissension, or by an attack by a greater maritime Power. Hence a sufficient navy is a deterrent against such attack, and is the weapon most capable of winning a war thus caused. This is realised by the other great Powers which, since the war, have increased their naval 1 forces and the efficiency thereof to a -strength hitherto unknown. Australia as an island continent is dependent on sea communication for her existence. The defence pokey of Australia is framed to protect- the country from aggression. To people who have not made a study of war, aggression signifies a direct attack upon the country—the bombardment of important centres of industry, either W ships or aircraft, the landing of raiding parties, and even invasion. To protect the country from these threats they suggest that Australia should concentrate on shore batteries, aircraft, destroyers, submarines and mines, while maintaining the organisation for a large land force to fight tho. possible invader on Australian soil. But there, is a far greater and far more probable threat against

the .Australian people, and that is an attack on their trade. It is frequently stated that Australia, being selfcontained in the matter of foodsuffs, cannot he starved into submission. It is recalled that the Boers held out again;!; the might of Great Britain for three years. But the Boers \vere a self-supporting farming population with no dependence upon foreign trade, while -Australia has a largo industrial population as well as her primary producers, r.iul both sections depend upon sea-borne trade for their existence.”