The Daily News MONDAY, DECEMBER 23. AN AUSTRALIAN NAVY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 302, 23 December 1907, Page 2

The Daily News MONDAY, DECEMBER 23. AN AUSTRALIAN NAVY.

J lie i>n.jio,iils lormulatcil l,y iI K . j'Vdi'ral Premier fur the formation of an Australian local tied may be regarded as tlio outcome of the scheme drawn up last year by Captain Cresswell, director of tlii' Commonwealth naval forces, but which failed to find favor with the Committee of Imperial Defence, who considered that the Imperial lleet provided for aTT likely emergencies. \\ he- i ther or not the present ambitious scheme j will meet with the approval of the Home Ciovenimeiil remains to he seen, hut the question need not in any way interfere with the consideration of the pro posals in their present shape. It will doubtless be remembered that under the existing arrangement with the Imperial tiovernineut, Australia pays £200,000 towards the maintenance of the Imperial naval force on (he Australian station, which includes the Dominion. In mluitiim to this the Commonwealth maintains a local naval force of 175 permanent ollicers untl men, and 1005 partially-paid members of naval brigades, at u cost of £75,000 a year. Placing the value of the imports at 13!),IWO,I)00, and the exports at £57,000,000, * Jl °. t™ilo «f Australia may be roughly estimated at close upon £100,000,000 a year, so that regarded in the. light of an insurance against depredation by foreign enemies, the rate per cent which the Commonwealth now pays is exceedingly small.

It becomes far more minute when the value of territorial and other assets are taken into account, as they must be in connection with any scheme of coastal and harbor defence. lu considering such an important scheme as that which Mr Deakin has promulgated, it is necessary to bear in mind that the principle involved is one that is of vital importance to New Zealand. Assuming that the proposals passed into the region of actualities the position of the Dominion with regard to naval defence would be materially altered, and a solution of the problem might be a matter of some difficulty, though we have every confidence that in the end matters would be adjusted on an equitable basis. So long as Great Britain is not menaced by a foreign foe the colonies may feel safe and secure both as to their trade and territory. The accident of a moment may leave them not only dependent on their own resources for defence purposes, but impelled by patriotism to help the Motherland. The position of Great Britain is far dill'erent now to what it was formerly in consequence of the offensive and defensive agreement entered into with Japan. It is now necessary In estimating future possibilities of international warfare to bear in mind that in any trouble into which Japan may be drawn or enter upon Britain becomes a party. In view of the recent difficulty which arose at San Francisco between Japan and America there is ground for apprehension that any cause just as trifling might lead to a war between Japan and the United States. Such a possibility cannot lie ignored, and should so deplorable an event happen there appears to be no option for Great Britain. Rightly or wronglyGreat Britain has pledged herself to help Japan, and she must cither do so or violate a solemn treaty obligation. But for this contingency Britain might fairly have looked for help from America in time of sore need.

Were there no other causes for alarm than those incident t.. the Anglo-Japan-ese treaty the future need not be a source of anxiety to the Empire. The chief trouble looming ahead is a conflict with Germany. Since the early nineties Germany, having virtually completed perfection of her defensive measures on land and sea, entered on a policy of building up an offensive navy on the ground that the only efficacious form of defence at sea was the offensive. It is intended that by 1917 the German navyshall consist of 38 first-class battleships, 14 large armored cruisers, 34 smaller cruisers, and 102 destroyers. Nor does the programme stop there, its continuance being automatically replaced, the jotal expenditure being' estimated at £I«ti,OOI»,UUO. War with England is regarded by high military authorities in Germany as not being improbable, and the chances of success as improvin" day by day. Summed up in a sentence 5 ,' the German doctrine has been described as "'the doctrine of continuous effort and premeditated offensive."'

At present Great Britain has twelve of the most powerful lighting eralt the world has yet seen. j.i a ., c - Me k Uowu as iho Dreadnought class. Other Powers arc constructing .similar skips, France and Germany haling decided to build six each, Japan live, and America tour. The present strength of the British navy (including vessels building) is—U9 battleships, izl cruisers, 21 tu°rpedo vessels, lis torpedo destroyers, 87 torpedo boats, and la submarines. France ha, 11 battleships, 01 cruisers, 10 torpedo vessels, 01 destroyers, 3U7 torpedo boats, and SO submarines. Getmany has 39 battleships, 02 cruisers, 01 destroyers, 84 torpedo boats, and onlytwo submarines. America has 29 battleships, 37 cruisers, 20 destroyers, 32 torpedo boats, and 12 submarines. Japan has 17 battleships, 4.3 cruisers, 54 destroyers, 79 torpedo boats, and seven submarines. The Russian navy has not yet been reconstructed; and the only other Power of consequence is Italy, whose licet need not be taken into account. The enormous cost of this naval force may be guaged from the fact that the current year's estimated expenditure by all the Powers was veryclose upon one hundred millions sterling.

U is evident, therefore, that any attempt to create a „ Australian navy will attract the attention of (orci"ii i'uucrs. This of iu-rll is a mere detail, and more than anything else would tend to justify the project. The main, uu j llt iol - co ,;. sidcralion is whether the proposed litems will produce' satisfactory result*. the idea of training iijUU men at a time on battleships is certainly meritorious, especially it it i» supplemented by training ships lor hoys who would oliicnvise drill into the criminal class Jn lime Australia would possess a considerable, population of self-reliant patriotic men why would form a very useful wi'll-trained naval militia. l't is proposed to build two cruisers and to reijiiisiliuu a similar number from tin' imperial Government. There j„ also to be a small llect of submarines, while about £300.1)11(1 is to be spent on I defence works. The experiment is one that might well be tried, but tbe-larg« area to be watched and protected would still need help from Home. Whether Dm' Commonwealth realises that in undertaking the formation of a nucleus Of a loea! licet, it is harnessing itself to a burden that may rapidly prove too heavy to lie curried concerns mainly (hose who are bearing the load. Pi-ld'o lias its drawback* as well ns its fascinations. .Verne the les* should every effort to strengthen die naval forces of (lie Km]dre be applauded. The secret of Bueccs.. in meeting an emergency is preparedness. At any moment the colonic may have to depend entirely on their own resources for defence. To be able to fare (bis contingency and to be in a posiliou (~ assist the Motherland more fhau pi-lilies -ocl, action as that wlii.-l, the Cedent <;o,cnmirnl pno.oses. j