BRITAIN'S DEFENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 161, 2 August 1909, Page 2

BRITAIN'S DEFENCE.

COMMAND ul.' THE SEA. TO BE RETAINED*"AT A.n i I'liiCE. THE HOME ARMY'S BEAL .ui.xuuX. By Cable. —Press Association.— London, July mj. Mr. Asquith, ill liiu viMii'se of iiis speech, deejarud tlmt Wo uusiness of me Admiralty was to niainiaiii supremacy at such a jioint that we could not lose command of .lie sea. T«" statement was received with general' cheers. Mr. Asijuith continued: "And, as against any reasonable combination, that we must hold the sea and make invasion an impracticable event." ivs for the home army, lie went on to say, its real function was opposition. The business of the War Oll'icc was to have in all circumstances a properly organised and equipped force capable of demijig ell'ectually witli tile possible invasion ol 7U,000 men. iif ilwt/i these naval and military ieoud'itiioiis were satisfied, it was the opinion of the Defence Committee that the country was safe from invasion.

-\lr. Balfour's reply to Mr. Asquith s speech showed that lie, like the Committee of Imperial Defence, had altered his viws on tho question of invasion s,nce 1005. He emphasised his belief that tiie Defence Committee was absolutely light in its conclusions. New circumstances had arisen, and invasion by a force of 70,000 was a thing the Dctciicc Committee must contemplate. The existence ot the Committee of Defence would facilitate more a consultation with the colonies and tiie obtaining from them invaluable advke regarding the defence of •the Empire. The Bight Hon. Sir C. W. DUkc, Liberal member for Forest Dean, questioned the wisdom of spending a large sum upon a territorial force of 400,000 men. This might prevent the necessary expenditure upon the licet. He added that we should have to strain uvcry nerve to meet the financial pressure necessitated by the maintenance of fleet at a great strength, and in his opinion a large home army was of secondary importance. Mr. A. H. Lee, Conservative member for Fareliaiu, declared that Mr. Asquith's speech was incomparably the most interesting and important delivered in the House this session.

CONTINGENT DREADNOUGHTS. London, July 30. The Defence Committee of the London Chamber of Commerce .resolved tlmt the contingent Dreadnoughts ought to _be laid down forthwith, and that they should be supplemented with immediate orders for cruisers, docks, and stores, ami nil increase in the personnel of the navy.

COLONEL FOXTON'S VIEWS. Melbourne, July 31. Mr. Deakin (Prime Minister) and Mr. J. Cook (Minister for Defence) were 'bombarded with questions regarding Colonel Foxton's utterances at the Defence Conference. The Ministers' replies were tliat the Australian delegates were entirely free to discuss any question that came up, and refused to answer more questions without notice.