NAVAL DEFENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 158, 8 July 1903, Page 3

NAVAL DEFENCE.

THE SEW SQUADRON. AUSTRALIA'S CONTRIBUTION. FIELD OF OPERATIONS. PER PEESS ASSOCIATION. Receive i 8,1.11 a.m. Melbourne, July 7. Sir E. Barton in moving the second ! reading of the Naual Agreement Bill, . after explaining the old agreemeut said t!*e total coat for th« Fqua 'ron w«s about two millions as agaiisst j for the old. I' would consist of a first-rlassi cruis>r of 12,000 tons with a speed of 21 knots and a romp'ement of 755 men; two stconrt-clasg cruisers of 'ito lnrn type of 5880 t .ns and a sperd f 12 to 21 knots ; iilso four third cla-s cruisers. Three were already here, od onp, of the Amethyst type, would be sent. Ttiese vess' Is were to have in the ports of Australia and New Zealand. The cos 1 ; of the new agrrement to tbe Commonwealth will be Is per head, &8 against 8d under the old, and as the population increased the cost would decrease. He had no hesitation in saying, afcer consultation with the Admiral, that the rates of pay woull be satisfactory. Following on a reference to the strength of the French and other squadrons in the Pacific, he declared " that if wo refused to agree to the necessary conditions, we deserve the destruction that would come upon us." Tbe chief and most valuable featura of the agreement was a provision that the field of operations should be Dot only the wate s of Australasia, but the waters of Cbinp, and the East Indian stations. Tbe main object of this was to make thn e stations work as one, eo that in times of stress tbey could all work together. He thought he might absolutely dismiss the argument that " If the colonies refused to accept their duty in providing the cost of naval difence, they would still get defence from the British navy." It w*s necessary there should be concentration in order to render the flaet t ffective. The expense of creating I and maintaining a local fleet was prohibitive, the cost being about halt a million a year, as against £200,000 under tbe proposed agreement. Tbe new squadron was the minimum strength necessary foiv our protection, even with a reciprocal arrangement wit h other squdrons, He admired tbespiiio of patriotism of those who advocated a lccal tquadron, but it did not agrfe with the principle of unity of control whioh was ensidertd essentia l . Ho urged on every ground, material and sentimental, the adoption of the agreement.