THE NEW SCARE

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 24 December 1912, Page 2

THE NEW SCARE

After all, the Defence Minister has gone off without telling us anything of the mind of the Cabinet on tho new departure alleged to have been inauguiated by the Canadian accept anoo of the offer of a seat for one of its ministers in the Imperial Defence Committee. It was not for lack of opportunity because the dinner given him by the citizens of "Wellington furnished as fine an opportunity for speech as could be thought desirable by the most reticent of men. But the fact is that Mr Allen had to confess that he had rot made up hia mind and that the Cabinet had not been more fortunate. It is natural because as he confessed—he had not read Imperial Memorandum which is the key to the understanding of the present position and had been tabled in the Legislatures of Canada and Australian Commonwealth. No doubt it will turn up in due course here. But in the meanwhile we are without its guiding light. Still the Government might have given us some inkling of their principles on the subject : more than they have so far done. One Empire, one fleet, one command with some method of co-operation to ensure smoothness of -working pending the time for a regular federal constitution : these are the lines which together with a larger subscription from the overseas are shaping themselves in the general agreement of men throughout the Empire. They are the lines on which this Dominion is *o thro w in its lot. Why not have said so definitely ? After the example of Sir Joseph Ward who not only said bo but first brought tho subject inso practical politics at the TnperiaJ Conference of 1911 proposed a temporary substitute or the federal eventuality and offeved a scheme complete in financial detail for the building of a fleet of twenty five battle ships in five years, half for the concentration in Home waters and half for the overseas stations, with cruisers and all fleet units, a? well as dcck.s and coaling- stations complefe and all to be paid for in fifteen years. The basis was a revenue aggregating £6,500,000 n year based on a tax of ten shillings per head over the whole Empire. It is true Sir Joseph added a plan of control which was not accepted, but the objections made to that were precisely the objections to whidi the present scheme is open. It is a pity he was not " on top " at the Conference aforesaid. Nevertheless it is satisfactory that we are going on forward on something lik9 the lines laid down by our representative in 1911. It i 3 a beginning, not so good as that would havo beeu in 1911—still a beginning, and a beginning in such important affairs is almost half the battle. If thb government had only had the pluck to say its mind there' wo aid be nothing left to be desired.