Imperial Defence.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 78, 23 March 1914, Page 5

Imperial Defence.

THE N.2. NAVAL POLICY.

FUNDS AND MEN AND SHIPS.

[Per Press Association.] Wellington, March 23.

Speaking at a banquet at Pongaroa on the naval question, the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher said we had less fighting power in the Dominion than we had in 18S7. When we paid £'40,000 a year, we had lighting ships of the tonnage of 41,000 tons; now for the expenditure of a quarter of a million a year, we had 6,300 tons of out-of-date defence, three ships which were no earthly use at all. If the British Government, said the Minister for Marine, could not carry out its agreement, M'ew Zealand must assert its nationality, and have at least up-to-date ships. There did not seem to be any good reason why England had not supplied this country with an adequate protecting fleet. It was now, he said, generally admitted that no crisis occurred in ISO 9 to make our contribution of a battleship specially necessary. At the time some mention had been made of a despatch from the. British Government, but search had disclosed the fact that no such despatches were in existence. It should be our policy, he continued, to supply not only funds but men and ships for Imperial Defence.