THE NAVAL AGREEMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 11 May 1907, Page 2

THE NAVAL AGREEMENT.

i Sydney, May 10. ) The Herald says: "The -scheme u naval defence submitted tu the Impcria -' Conference requires ilia gr<;;ilost consul - eration. While the system of por, de ,' fence would lie admirable it would be :t .' 1110-1 inefficient substitute for the Auk I traliau squadron. it was plain iron Lord Tw.'edmoiith'a reply ilint tile Ad i' iniralty would .lie verv glad to net rid o ■ tile agreement with Australia and X-;-, i Zealand. Sir .1. li. Ward Ins wiseli I Stuck to the old agroemenLlhoiigli !i< Admiralty -bowed itself ppifcclly will in;: to let New Zealand oi{t, of the' bar gain as well n< Au-tralin." The Telegiaph says that New Z.-il'.>-,-will now be left by the Commonwealth and must make her own bargain. Tlial is a conspicuously weak feature of the new arrangement. , Received 10th. 11.5.1 p.m. Loudon, May Id. t The Admiralty estimate, since flu 1 concurrence of ..he colonial Parliament:. , is necessary, they will await forma , communications from the colonial (io ', veriinients before giving ell'ecl to Ci; new decision respecting the AusliMiku I agreement. Received 11th, 10.40 a.m.--Melbourne, Mav li), j Sir J. Forrest, referring lj the dec: cision of 1 lie Imperial ('.'(inference le [ terminate the naval agreement, tliouaht the old agreement exoellem, bill tlia, was not to say that sonic other, such :f|. .Mr Deihin proposed, was even betI ter. Personally, he preferred that it should run its course imMI it expired l.v the ellluxioti of time, as the machinery and training were just p-cltim' info working order. It was never intended h\- Mr -lleakin or Hie (iovernnient to iniercfere with tin- agreement, but ho position had been changed by the Imperial (iovernment. which was >o anxious for the agreement in 1!)02. Jl was impossible to say till Jfr Doakin returned what would be done, or when the present system would terminate Tile tiirilV i|iic tion would hay,, such'a prominent pl-ico next s-ssin,, tllflt it »",'.'>- be incomenien. ■ • |„, beerinning to ilcil w,ih the lie-,-: ,o-,.,|j 0 „