DEFENCE OF THE COMMONWEALTH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 9006, 16 December 1907, Page 5

DEFENCE OF THE COMMONWEALTH.

BIG AUSTRALIAN SCHEME. MELBOURNE, December 14. Mr Deakin, Federal Piime Minister, has made his long-promised statement on tha defence policy. The best results, he said, were to be obtained from a citizen army. He had submitted to the Imperial Government the following proposals : To substitute for the present Commonwealth subsidy an offer of 1.000 Australian seamen paid by the Commonwealth for service with the navy on this station, at an estimated cost of £IOO,OOO annually, the remainder of the present subsidy to be applied by the Commonwealth to submersibles or destroyers, or similar local defence, as suggested at the London conference. Two cruisers of the "P" class, or superior, to be manned by 500 of the 1,000 Australians, and to be retained on the Australian coast in time of peace or war. A loan of the two "P" cruisers, or superior, to be maintained by the Commonwealth for training the local naval militia, at an estimated cost to the Commonwealth of £60,000 per annum. This proposed amendment is in addition to the Commonwealth vote this year of a quarter of a million for a naval harbour and coast defence, and £50,000 fortifications of harbours.

Of these four cruisers, he proposed that two should be manned by 500 of the force of 1,000 Australians, and that the other two should be manned by a naval militia. This arrangement, he felt, would fill up a gap until such time as the Commonwealth had ships of its own. Such a policy would develop the naval spirit in Australia, and would relieve the Imperial navy. The cost of maintenance of the seamen would be a contribution to the scheme of Empire defence, which they might be proud to tender. The Admiralty had urged that the naval agreement should be first cancelled before consideration was given to the new scheme, of which more details were required. However, Mr Deakin believed that the scheme he had outlined would ultimately command itself to many. In the complete scheme there would be provision for two submarines each for New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, and one each for South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.

The total annual outlay, when the scheme was completed, would mean £221,000, including interest. The shore armaments when complete Iwould cost £342,000. The Government would devote £50,000 each year till the work was finished. The necessary guns, he had been advised, could be built in Australia. Numerically, the military forces were absurdly weak. Probably not half of the 22,000 men on the roll -:ould be depended on as efficient. At the present moment there was only about one man in 112 with any training. They must greatly enhance the forces and the Government proposed a system of universal national training, in order to form a national guard of defence, during which every young man in the Commonwealth would be required to undergo military training in his nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first years. He would have to spend eighteen days of each year in the field. Mr Deakin added that he believed that within three years time they would have a force capable of defending the country. In the eighth year there would be 214,000 men with arms, ammunition, equipment, artillery, and cavalry, and the cost of this was estimated at £250,000. An additional £20,000 a year would be devoted to cadets, and £IO,OOO to rifle clubs.

ENGLISH PRESS OPINION. SCHEME "LARGE AND COMPREHENSIVE." Received December 15, 5.4 p.m. LONDON, December 14. The "Daily Chronicle" says that Australia is in no mood to do things by halves. Mr Deakin's defence scheme is like the new tariff and new protection schemes—large and comprehensive.