DEFENCE OF THE EMPIRE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 61, 14 March 1913, Page 5

DEFENCE OF THE EMPIRE.

CANADIAN NAVAL DEBATE

(By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.! (United Press Association.)

Ottawa, March 12

lii the naval debate Mr Pugsley declared that the effect of Mr Churchill’s speecli was that he said to Canada: “If the Dominion persists in building a Canadian navy, the Admiralty won’t give you any assistance.” The manning of the Can adian fleet was far different to the treatment accorded to Australia.,l bat agreement had been faithfully carried out., While Mr Churchill recognised that Australia could guard the Southern Pacific, he refused to see any obligation on Canada to guild the Northern Pacific. AFTER-DINNER SPEECHES. AT THE LIBERAL COLONIAL CLUB. London, March 13. Sir Joseph Ward presided at the Liberal Colonial Club dinner, at which Mr Allen was the principal guest. .Mr Allen initiated a discussion on Imperial defence. He said that he regarded land and sea defences as interdependent, hence the necessity for national service and a naval force. He warmly commended the Australian navy, which was not for Australian defence alone, but for Imperial defence. He did not, he said, care whether the Dominions built a unit or contributed Dreadnoughts. There must ultimately be an undivided Imperial navy.

Sir Joseph Ward disagreed with sectional navies. No single Dominion, he said, would he able to build an effective unit for itself or for the Empire without applying financial responsibility. He repeated the argument for a capital contribution. This would enable British payments to he reduced, secure not four but forty Dreadnoughts, and give Australia a fleet twice as strong as the present equal unit and at half the present cost.