NAVAL DEFENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 33, 29 June 1914, Page 5

NAVAL DEFENCE.

'EX-MINISTER'S OPINION. In the course of a pre-se'ssionali tspeixh at Auckland the other evening, Mr Arthur Myers, M.P., said that the question of tile naval defence of tfc>s part of the Empire waSs now receiving the attention which its importance deserved, Tlie 190!) agreement entered into by Sir Joseph Ward, and providing for the sti.ition.iiig pf naval forces in Nsjw Zeaiaiid Wiite, was an Admirable solution of the difficulty. Tin; Admiralty, however, had intimated to New* Zealand that they did not intend to fulfil this agreement, and tllfl First 'Lord of the Admiralty hits ktatedi reeeiitty that he considered our interests amply protected by tlie Anglo-Japanese Alii',nice. Whenever Japan close -to denounce the alliance, New Zealand would be left helpless and unprotected*, with Japan no longer a political ally but a potential enemy. It had been slated that we should have the great Imperial Fleet, behind us in such, a, contingency; but we had that to-day, and the Admiralty could not spare us two Bristol cruisers. What guarantee had New Zealand thai in fifteen or twenty years the Imperial authorities would not have to face a similar emergeicy in European waters, and in addition a crisis in the Pacific V Mr Myers considered the day of the cash contribution without representation bad gone. Tkw policy could not, now secure the pu.pose which Sir Joseph Ward advocated in iiiOtl—the stationing of -Brity* nayti'. forces in tlie Pacific; the only purpose it served was to reduce the naval estimates in the North Sea. lie trusted that at the Imperial Conference next year the Mother Country and the (laughter Strides would be able to come to some joiiQ' arrangement regarding the Pacific, whereby British sliip-i would protect British territory, und wliiereby national aspirations and Imperial interests would ibe reconciled.