AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 113, 28 September 1912, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE.

THE NAVY. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Received 28, 12.1% a.m. London, September 27. An Australian, writing to the Times, suggests that the Australian naval unit, without a plan of combined operation with the Canadian and China squadrons, is without the support necessary to secure the Commonwealth's interests. Australia has a fleet almost ready, hut the other parties to the 1009 conference have done absolutely nothing. The New Zealand Dreadnought is to be kept at Home, and nothing has been heard of the Admiralty's two Eastern units. The time has come for the Admiralty to divulge its Pacific policy. Aided, abetted, fostered and encouraged by the local Australian fleet, it is now leaving it virtually to maintain alone British power and prestige. How is the Admiralty going to fashion the infant colonial navies into useful auxiliaries by such a policy? The Times, in a leader commenting on the Australian's letter, says that events are moving so rapidly in the sphere of Imperial policy of defence that periodical conferences are now useless. The right course is that the Dominions should he represented by their own Ministers on the Committee of Imperial Defence, whereby the Cabinets would be continually in touch with Imperial affairs. Mr. Allen's speech shows that the temporary .suppression of the 1900 programme is also causing apprehension in New Zealand, but no change in British arrangement,} in Eastern waters is likely or desirable. A steady and well:eonsidered development of the Australian navyis probably all the moment requires, though the China squadron will (vhortly again, be strengthened. New Zealand and Australia are facing national responsibilities with courage, foresight and zenl. Some malicious efforts have been made to belittle and distort the systems of universal training whici have been patriotically introduced, but the allegations are worth little.