AUSTRALASIAN FEDERATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 170, 17 January 1912, Page 8

AUSTRALASIAN FEDERATION.

SIR WILLIAM RUSSELL'S VIEWS.

WISE WORDS ON DEFENCE.

By Telegraph—Press Assomti»n. Hastings, Last Night.

Captain Sir William 11. Russell, who was one of the representatives of New Zealand at the Australian Federation Conference at Melbourne in 1890, and ilso at the National Australian Contention at Sydney, 1891, and one of a ioyal Commission in 1901, which reportid exhaustively against the expediency of <Tew Zealand .entering the Australian jominonwealth, was interviewed .by the lawke's Bay Tribune to-day, regarding Vtr. Fisher's statement at Hobart that ;he Dominion was undoubtedly in favor >f federation. Sir William Russell said: "I am as;onished at the statement, and cannot igree with Mr. Fisher's remarks. I relumed to the Dominion only three weeks igo, so I cannot presume to state what ;he people of New; Zealand are saying on ,he subject at the present moment. Certainly no one I talked to in Auckand or Hawke's Bay has led me to sup)Ose that a remarkable change of opinion las taken place in the Dominion since [ went to England. As a matter of fact, [ believe the consensus of opinion would De more strongly against joining a r ederation than it was formerly, owing ;o the apparent tendency of a large section of Australians to desire the unification of Australia, instead of the federation of the States. At the conference it Melbourne, I moved, as an addition ;o the resolution affirming the desirableicss of the federation of the Australian :olonies, 'that to the union of the Australian colonies the remoter Australian colonies shall be entitled to admission at such times and on such condi;ions as may hereafter be agreed upon.' rhis was seconded by Sir' John Hall and carried. The object was to allow any 'olony hereafter to join the federation f the circumstances should have so ihanged as to make it desirable. I canlot recall any expression of public opinon, either in Parliament or out, which las been in favor of New Zealand joinng the federation. To keep the door ipen so that it might 'be possible hereifter under changed conditions is the itmost that has been desired. The possible danger of a hostile attack might ead one at first sight to think that » scheme of federal defence must be lesirable. In my opinion it is more

j apparent than .real. Australia has deterS mined' to have her own fleet, which for many years can be strong enough only for her own local defence, and so can be of no use to New Zealand, which has much more wisely decided to contribute to the Imperial Navy. But, in.any case, there exists a very wide difference of opinion and policy in most important questions, even supposing a scheme of federal defence was inaugurated. So long as Great Britain remains supreme on the sea the Dominion is safe from anything worse than a remotely possible t filibustering attack, which, consequently I* on our universal service scheme, could do only trifling injury. If Great Britain should lose command of the sea, Australia could not send troops to our aid ( across 1200 miles of 'ocean, nor could she spare "them from her own wide and sparsely populated country." SHOULD WE FEDERATE? VIEWS OF NEW SOUTH WALES POLITICIAN. S Palmerston N., January 15. J Mr. J. C. L. Fitzpatrick, M.L.A., of New South Wales, a member of the Totalisator Commission, was interviewed here to-day for his 'opinion on the suggestion made by Mr. A. Fisher, Federal Premier, at the Australian Labor Conference, in favor of the federation of New Zealand with the Commonwealth. Mr. Fitzpatrick said that a good deal depended on the point of view. He thought the proposal was a good one, although it emanated from the Labor party, to which he was opposed. It seemed that in the Southern Hemisphere, where the interests were largely British I and Australian, there should be close combination on the part of Australia and New Zealand, if only for the purpose of maintaining a solid front against any probable aggressors. Despite all that might be said to the contrary by the optimistic section of the community, there was strong ground for the belief that in the days to come W j would be confronted with something in the shape of aggression from Eastern peoples. This might come from China, Japan, or the Dutch Indies—the lastnamed being only a few days' sail from Australia. There was a danger, owing to the growing population and limited area of these countries, that they would attempt to_ take advantage of the isolated position of Australia, with its spare population, to occupy its waste spaces. . wou W be a danger to Australia in this respect would be especially menacing to New Zealand. One had only to realise how close to the top of Australia were the Dutch Indies, the Philippines, China, and Japan, to know the tremendous possibility that existed for an invasion by the colored races. 1 hough Australia could depend on the assistance of Great Britain when the latter -was not involved in a European war, it would be impossible to do very much until such help arrived. With the ' Determent of cable facilities the distance k bet ween New Zealand and Australia would be cut very short. Even if it did not pay the Dominion to enter the union, it might be possible for her to become one with Australia in relation to matters of defence, quarantine rejmlations, postal and telegraph arranger ments, cable services, and other matters in which their welfare might be mutual. If union could be effected even in these I matters it might settle some of the \ great problems of the Southern Hemi- ' j sphere in the near future.