OUR NAVAL DEFENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 293, 14 May 1914, Page 6

OUR NAVAL DEFENCE.

SIR JOSEPH WARD REPLIES TO | MINISTER. A CHARGE OF DELIBERATE MISj REPRESENTATION*. Wellington, Tiicsdiiy. Interviewed regarding the statement made by tins .Minister of Marine at Oamaru regarding the question of naval defence, Sir .Joseph Ward said he had read the Pre* Association report, and could only express his astonishment that a responsible Minister of the Crown should have indulged in such a statement —one that could only be regarded by impartial persons as deliberate misrepresentation upon a great and important question. "I have always stood straight out for New Zealand being associated with and attached to an Imperial Navy, as it has been, from the time it took direct interest in the matter, by contributing: a subsidy to the Imperial Government for naval defence' purposes." The Reform Government, Jie said, stood for a local navy. They repealed ' last session the Act by which the Dominion gave a direct contribution of j £100,001) per annum to the British Go- ■ vcrnment, and passed a Naval Defence ® Act, providing for a local navy, the nucleus of which was announced by the Prime Minister (and supported by the j Defence Minister) to be one • Bristol

! cruiser. "The attempt 'by the Minister of Marine at Oamaru to mislead the public was apparent when lie quoted from a speech delivered by me at the Imperial Conference in 19U with a view to making the public believe that I was favorable to a heavier expenditure for naval defence than are the Reform Government. Such is incorrect. The speech from wliicli Mr. Fisher quoted extracts was in support of a resolution moved by me at the* Imperial Conference, 'that the Empire has now reached a stage of development which renders it expedient that there should be an Imperial Council of State, with representatives from all self-governing parts of the Empire, in theory and in fact advisory to the Imperial Government on all questions affecting the interests of his' Majesty's dominions overseas.' The reference to naval matters which has been quoted was only one of a number of arguments, I used in support, of the resolution. I never at any time, cither at the Imperial 'Conference or elsewhere, suggested the severance of Xew Zealand from its attachment to the Briti-h Navy or the establishment, directly or indirectly, of a local navy. The cost of a local navy, as suggested by the Massev Government, would, in r.iy opinion, be enormous, compared to what: 1 was outlining at the Imperial Conference—an Empire navy, not a local nivy."

The .speech of Ihe Minister of .Marine was not sent along toy the Pross Association a;;ent to New Plymouth, but from a Wellington paper we learn that the 'Minister dealt at length with the naval tlefencc question, saying that Sir Joseph Ward, as head of 'the Liberal Party, had been responsible for the increase in our contribution, and had given the Dreadnought withou;. the eonsent of Parliament; that at the Imperial ConferJnce ill London he had proposed a scheme which was so vast that Mr. Asquith. Sir Wilfrid Laurie v. Mr. Fisher and the other Ministers turned it down. He (Sir Joseph Ward) had proposed a scheme whereby Ids should be given per head of the population towards naval defence. This in New Zealand, said Mr. Fisher, would mean a payment of C 522,500. and yet Sir Joseph Ward was going about the country saying that the Xfassev Government was going to increase tho cost of naval defence. The Minister quoted from the Imperial Conference of J SHI. in which sir -Joseph Wai'J, rvfvring to the old system of contribution said: "We mu»t have some alteration in the present disjointed, so-ealled system. That is what I am trying to arrive at." Continuing, Sir Joseph Ward said: ''l want to place on record my view on this matter (naval defence), and to say that in my opinion a position of enormous strength, with at least three of the most powerful battleships, could be provided for Australia; that six of them could be providedi-for Canada for doaliir,' with both the Paeilic ami Atlanticcoasts; that three of them could be provided for South Africa, if South Africa required them, although I know they are in a similar position to New Zealand in the matter of naval defence. Two could be provided for New Zealand, one for Newfoundland, and all the subsidiary vessels that make up the fleet units could be provided for all these countries. In addition, ten Dreadnoughts could be added promptly to the British Navy, and all this could be done entirely by the oversea dominions ofit of the proposal which 1 ant making at present."