DREADNOUGHTS OR CRUISERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 25 August 1909, Page 19

DREADNOUGHTS OR CRUISERS.

PUBLIC MEN'S OPINIONS. (Fbom Otra Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, August 20. The cabled news that the contribution of a Dreadnought or Dreadnoughts by New Zealand to the Briti.-h navy may he changed to a contribution of crui=ei-. to form part of the Pacific Squadron, and be employed in New Zealand waters, meets with the appro\al of a number of mem-

bers of Parliament at present in Auckland, who were interviewed on the subject this -morning. Mr -W. F. Massev (Leader of tbe Opposition) said that the information contained in the cable was too meagre to warrant any expression of * opinion at present. " When Sir J. G. Ward returns he will lay his report before the House," said Mr Massey, " and the subject will then j receive the full attention of members." ; Mr James Allen, M.P. for Bruce, regarded in the House as an authority on defence matters, was also inclined to think the cabled information on the subject too | indefinite to warrant the expression of an j opinion. His views had already been made known from the floor of the House, and he had then said that if ever New Zeal? id was to become a great nation in the Pacific, New Zealand, with Australia and Canada, for they must have their say too in the Pacific some day or other, must have a fleet sufficiently strong to meet t even the Japanese. New Zealand, as he had before stated, should not be in the position of a dependency, but in the position of a partner — a reasonable, honourable partner. That was what the Dominion should be to the Mother Country. The way to undertake that responsibility was to allow the British Admiralty's squadron in Australasian waters to go, and replace it with one maintained by New Zealand and the Commonwealth. Mr'W. H. Heiries, M.P., also said he could say. nothing in addition to what he ' had said in the -House laet June, when he took up" the 'attitude that they would help the Mother Country to & far greater extent if they said, "We' in Australasia will look after this side of the world, "and ' we will maintain a sufficient navy here, sufficient except for Japan, to police the seas and repel any invading force." The ; annual expense of the present Australasian squadron was £519,000 a year to the Old Country, including £150,000 interest on the cost of ships. Between "Australia and New Zealand he thought they could find enough money to do that. Australia and New Zealand should both be allies rather than dependencies. The British Empire should be a congregation of nations allied to each ot«her by a bond under which they agreed to defend one another, but so that , the defeat of one should not mean the possible sacrifice of another.