DEFENCE OF THE EMPIRE

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 18 August 1909, Page 27

DEFENCE OF THE EMPIRE

THE CONFERENCE MEETINGS. LORD KITCHENER'S POST. A MOMENTOUS ANNOUNCEMENT ' LONDON, August 10. Colonial naval experts are engaged in discussing with representatives of the Admiralty many technical details involved in ,the question of the defence of the Empire. August 11. Conferences /are proceeding daily between the Admiralty officials and the delegates^ the object being to co-ordinate the defence schemes propounded by each dominion, and sub-committees of each are working put technical details relating to ammunition, transport, and supplies ! with the Admiralty experts. i With a patriotic object, everybody concerned observes silence as to the proposals under consideration, but Sir J. G. Ward declared his opinion respecting the Dreadnoughte. This shows that New Zealand 'will adhere to her offer in its entirety. - , -* The Commonwealth's proposal embraces an optional offer, and cannot be so easily dealt with. It involves a complex consideration, which will possibly require a reference to the Commonwealth Govern- j ment before a final settlement is reached. I August 13. I The Defence Conference committees are approaching the end of their deliberations. ! A plenary meeting will be held next week*. It is officially stated that an arrangement of a satisfactory nature with Australia is in process of completion. J * In the House of Commons Mr Haldane's .' reply to Ma- W. W. Ashley regarding ' Lord Kitchener's Mediterranean pest and the discussions at the Defence Conference showed that the opportunity existed for a better and more comprehensive organi- , cation of the military forces of the Crown wherever stationed. | It had become evident that there was more work to- do loyally than could be done at headquarters ; therefore it was important that the various subdivisions of the problem of the Imperial defences as a whole-should be studied on the spot by officers of high standing and wide experience, with the time at their disposal to fully consider the questions involved. Moreover, in t-he case of the Mediterranean, there was the inspection of regu- . lars throughout Africa and >be giving of military advice to the local authorities, j It was impossible at present to foresee j or to define the extent whereto such duties might expand in the future, and so modify the situation. There were large possibilities of work and reorganisation opening themselves up. August 14. ! Mr Haldane, speaking at Bradford, referred to the Defence Conference. He eaid he was glad to announce that plans were more than within sight for uniting the forces throughout the Empire. It was not for nothing that Lord Kitchener was going to Australia and New Zealand, then assuming the command of the Mediterranean-, with the duty of organising the troops in South Africa, and the stiL larger duty of making plans for the necessary, concentrations in case the Empire is attacked. ' Wherever the theatre of a future war was — whether in j Australia-, Africa, India, or Britain — the j forces of the Empire would be so oTgan- j ised as to enable them to be concentrated, j General Sir John French is going to Canada to work the plans there. OTTAWA, August 10. Canada will formally assume charge { of the naval yard at Esquimalt at the end of this month. BRISBANE, August 12. Admiral Poore, in the course of a speech at the Agricultural Show, appealed to employers to grant their men who had passed into the naval reserve 14 days for annual training. He regretted to say that the attitude of employers was not satisfactory, and men trained in the navy j declined to enter the naval reserve on j taking up civilian life because they found ■ a disinclination on the part of employei's ( to allow them the time necessary for training.