Naval Defence

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 252, 23 March 1914, Page 4

Naval Defence

IMPORTANT STATEMENT BV THB. PREMIER. , BRISTOL CRUISER TO HE BUILT.. ) Greymouth, Saturday.. peaking at Greymouth last night to. a. remarkably large and enthusiast** audience of some 1500 people,' th« 1 rime Minister (the Riglit Hon. W. V. Massey) made an important statement! upon naval defence in connection witrt the speech made by Mr. Winston) Churchill m the House of Couimena upon the Naval Estimates. Mr. ChuTchill, , n bis statement a* cabled, stated that the alliance between;. England and Japan secured the safety] of Australia and New Zealand. "4 statement like that," commented' Mr. Massey, "does not appeal to me. It ia ambiguous, and I do not quite kuow what it means. Ido not want tQ doMr. Churchill any injustice, but if lw means that the people of Australia and. New Zealand (for the latter of whom L am speaking) arc to be satisfied with, tlie protection afforded by Japanese* ships and Japanese .sailors, then Mr. Winston Churchill is very mueh mis« taken. I do not believe for o«4 moment that the Anglo-Japanese AU liancc has secured the safety of eithefl' Australia or New Zealand. T. do bo* think so for one moment, and it is jwm as well for Mr Churchill to know that.'* This statement was made in ths course of a recital of the negotiations} upon the subject of naval defence which had taken place between No* Zealand and the Imperial Parliament* Mr. Massey outlined all that had bee* dono down to the point of wher* the New Zealand Government said thai if the English Government wag unablf to follow out its agreement and euppljt \"ew Zealand with two Bristol cruiser*,, then New Zealand would build one fafljL, herself. Britain bad said she able to do this, and "that is still th<; position at the moment," said Mr. Hu< soy. "Wc therefore intend," he con* tinued, "to ask Parliament at the earli* est possible moment to authorise ihi building of a Bristol cruiser to protect our harbors and trade routes. (Ap« plause). \

THE COST OF THE CRUISER:.

"The cost of the cruiser would ha £400,000, ami the upkeep might b4 about £IIO,OOO. but not more. Thig would be the outside limit fbr the cosß of the cruiser to New Zealand'in »pit« of many wild statements made to the contrary. The .€50,1100 of the Imperial subsidy of &100.000-which, remained after the allowance training ship would be applh.-d. The extra cost to Xew Zwlimd toould beonly £40,000 a yenr. Sir Joseph War* asserted that the (iov Tiiinent's pro* posals would lead to extravagant expenditure, but lie (Sir Joseph Ward)' had in London proposed tliat the colonics should be taxed 10s a head fo* naval dependence. That would mean £525,000 ,i year for Xew Zealand, *n4 the people could see whit b was the mo*t extravagant. He (.Mr. Masscy) believed 4 hat the best pol'cy was for the Dominion to prepare its own ships. The timewould come when the Pacific would b» a >ti:n:i centre, end the -Anglo- saxonS would have to lii:l't us lliei- forefather* hud. Australia was preparing, and' Canada and Suut.li Africa would also have to do it. At any rate, New Zealand must look forward to the time when there would he a British Xavy in the Pacific ready to cope with any foethat came along" (Loud applause).— Special to Dominion.