AUSTRALIAN NAVY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 30, 28 September 1912, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN NAVY.

(By Electric I'eiegraph.—Copyright (United Press Association.)

London, September 27

An Australian, writing to the Times, I suggests that the Australian naval j unit, without a plan of combined opera- \ tion with the Canadian and China squadrons, is without the support necessary to secure the Commonwealth's interests. Australia has a fleet almost ready,' but the other parties to the 1909 conference have done absolutely nothing. The New Zealand .Dreadnought is to be kept at Home, and nothing lias been heard of the Admiralty's two Eastern units. The time has come for the Admiralty to divulge its Pacific policy. Aided, abetted, fostered and encouraged by the local Australian fleet, it is now leaving it virtually to maintain alone British power and prestige. How is the Admiralty going to fashion the infant colonial navies into _ useful auxiliaries by such a policy? The Times, in a leader commenting on the Australian'® letter, says that events are moving so rapidly in the sphere of Imperial policy of defence that periodical conferences arc now' useless. The right course is that the Dominions should Ixs represented by their own Ministers on the Committee of Imperial Defence, whereby the Cabi'nets would be continually in touch with Imperial Defence! Mr Allen's speech shows that the temporary suppression of'the 1909 programme is also causing apprehension in New Zealand, but no change in British arrangements in Eastern waters is likely or desirable. A steady and well-considered development of the Australian navy is probably all the moment requires, though the China squadron will shortly again be strengthened. Zealand and Australia are facing national responsibilities with courage, foresight and zeal. Some malicious efforts have boon made to belittle and distort tlv systems of universal training which have been patriotically introduced, but the allegations are worth little.