COLONIAL DEFENCE. (By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8165, 20 April 1895, Page 2

COLONIAL DEFENCE. (By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

Received April 19, at 11 45 a.m. Ape^aide, April 19. Admiral Bridge, on being interviewed with reference to his rumored intention to obtain a largorcontribution from the colonies to the auxiliary squadron, stated that probably tho erroneous impression had arisen from attributing to the Imperial federation committee of defence an importance which he was inclined to think it aid not possess. Everybody must (sympathise with tho object of the committee, but ho had his own ideas as to tho discretion of its procedure, and it was no exaggeration to say that at present at all events it exerted no great influence on Imperial politics. Admiral Bridge added that enthusiasts, during what might bo termed tho navnl boom, allowed themselves to go so far as to say that defence might rest with tho navy alone. That certainly wns not the conviction which he hud arrive] at after many years' study of naval strategic problems. He would, however, go so far as to say that a powerful navy alqno would prevent a conquest or an invasion on a great scale. It might be taken as practically certain that so long as the British navy retained its predominance neither con« quest nor invasion coming from across the sea need bo feared in any portion of tho British Empire, but ho held the viow that neither tho British navy as it was now, or even raised to a considerably greater strength than at present, would bo able to givo that perfect security against isolatod raids which all parts of the Empire ought to enjoy. The only thing to give that security was to convince the would -bo raider that if ho succcodcd in slipping through the British covering fleet his difficulties would havo by no moans ended. Aa far m he could Beo there was no other way of enforcing this conviction than by letting him know there was a suitably-organised force roady to meet him. Admiral Bridge went on to say : '• It ia difficult to escape from tho conclusion that those who know what the temper of foreign nation* is mo convinced that the defensive force of tho Empire should be strong. There is little doubt that the pcoplo ol the Australasian colonies will recogniso before long the im« poitanco of tho new Eastern question, which recently opened many degrees further Ea?t than Constantinople, or they will most hicety como to the conclusion that the eyes of modern statesmen are directed much more anxiously towards iho'VelloW Se^ than tho Black Sea or Bosphorus,"