NAVAL AGREEMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 123, 11 October 1912, Page 5

NAVAL AGREEMENT.

ADMIRAL PEARCE'S VIEWS,

By Cable—Press Association— Copyright,

Received 10, 1.10 a.m. Sydney, October 10. Explaining the references to the Naval Agreement, Admiral Pearce says that the 1909 conference agreed that there should be a Pacific fleet, to which Canada and Australia should contribute units, Britain contributing the China fleet, and New Zealand, joined by the Admiralty, to give her contribution to the China station under certain conditions. The idea of regarding what should be the «!mb and number of ships and personnel of crews originated in a memorandum from the Admiralty, presented to the conference. "We are," he said, "just about completing our fleet unit under the agreement. Canada has not done so, nor has New Zealand. .With the exception of the Dreadnought presented, the Admiralty has only the China fleet that existed 'at the time of the conference. I don't presume for a moment to tell or suggest to the other Dominions what they should do, but we have not heard anything since then regarding whether the proposals are incapable of being carried out. The agreed course laid down was the best. It was in line with our policv, and in every case we kept our word."