DEFENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 106, 20 September 1912, Page 6

DEFENCE.

BRITAIN'S SUPREMACY. ""' COLONIAL REPRESENTATION, j (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent). Wellington, Wednesday. In flie House of Representatives this afternoon Mr. A. M. Myers, ex-Minister for Defence, asked ihe Prime Minister whether, as there is an earnest disposition on the part of the self-governing dominions to help to maintain the existence of the British Empire by assisting in its common defence, and as the British supremacy at sea is being seriously challenged, he does not consider that the time has arrived for New Zealand to follow the lead of Canada and ask that a member of the New Zealand Cabinet should have a scat on the Imperial Defence Committee in London, and thus remain in constant personal touch with the Imperial Government'; In a note attached to his question, Mr. Myers said that while New Zealand's remoteness from London places it at a disadvantage with Canada in a scheme of this nature, the. difficulty could be overcome by the appointment of a new honorary Minister to be elected by members of the House of Representatives, and to be known as "Minister of External Affairs," who could act as an alternate with the Prime Minister and Minister of Defence in attending the sittings of the Imperial Committee of Defence in London. The Minister of External Affairs could, if necessary, represent the Government on the Imperial Defence Committee. While the Dominion Parliament was in session he would he expected to stand aloof from internal and domestic troubles and might be allowed to address both Houses, voting, however, only in the House to which he was attached. An arrangement of this kind would meet the objection that a representative of the Dominion stationed permanently in London gets out i of touch with his own country, while we would, at the same time, have permanent representation on the Imperial Defence Committee, and thus have a continuous fund of information on the sub- { ject of external affairs and defence. li • riew of the strong Imperial stand taken J up by New Zealand when a number of I contingents were sent to South Africa, and our further action in presenting a Dreadnought to the Mother Country and I placing the same unreservedly at the | disposal of the Imperial authorities, it r would seem fitting that we should folj low up our previous actions on such mo- ' mentous issues by formulating a scheme I of this nature, since co-operation with the United Kingdom in matters of de- < I fence must carry with it the beginnings f of an association in policy which would I result in inestimable benefit to the strength of the Empire, and to the general cause of peace. The reply of the Prime Minister was as follows: —"The matter referred to: by the hon. member will be taken into the serious consideration of the Government during the recess, with a view to submitting proposals to the House when Parliament meets again."