THE EMPIRE'S DEFENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 177, 19 August 1909, Page 2

THE EMPIRE'S DEFENCE.

AUSTRALIAN FUU'UHK >AV'V. Uy Cable.— Association.- •UiiiyrlgJt Melbourne, August l<f. j Mr. Deakin, federal l'muicr, state* thut though he lias not jh .ecelved any statement from Colonel JToxtou, the Australian delegate to the Deleu-i' CoilI'trence, in reference to the aecepUnlw of the Commonwealth naval proposals, judging from the press cables i. ,k ; have been accepted from first to last. The fact that the Commonwealth: a to keep the completest control of ker unit in time ol peace will, no doubt, ba extremely gratifying to Australians. The proposals do not iuclude a ureadnought, since such a vessel would not . % display her efficiency in the oceans in the neighborhood of Australia. fie unit will consist principally of cruisers, one of which will probably represent tw highest present development in swift

iruisers. . . . 'l'he proposals also provide for harbor lefence, as well as arrangements (or an Australian base. Ue the upkeep of .the new unit at £/w,WH) to £1,000,000 annually. . It is part of the arrangement that ta» Commonwealth is to have the right to letermine whether an emergency "any ;ime is such as to justify ' vessels passing to Imperial control, inn neans in effect that the Federal Govern„ent will decide whether an emergency ias arisen. , . An important feature is that boats, is far as possible, will be bota officered ind manned by Australians.

THE SICK AND INJURED. London, August 17. With the approval of the War Office, the British Red Cross Society ,ia organising a large scheme of . V j UD aid for the sick and wounded. Thi» means the enrolment of nurses *na ambulance men as adjuncts to the territorial forces.

"MANY GOOD RESULTB." THE WORK OF THE CONFERENCE. SIR JOSEPH WARD'S ASSURANCE.

Received August 16,10.10 p.m. London, August 18. Sir Joseph Ward assured 4 private conference of New Zealandors yestwday in reference to the Defence Conference that he would go back to New Zealand with many good results, justifying nira in saying in general terms that M,ww confident that a very much better coni dition of affairs would exist Mtf tM Conference than ever was the cap# Before. I