THE ALL-RED ROUTE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 9015, 28 December 1907, Page 5

THE ALL-RED ROUTE.

A MISCHIEVOUS MISNOMER

"GIGANTIC COSTLY SHAM."

Received December 27, 9.26 p.m LONDON, December 27.

Sir John Colomb, in a letter to "The Times," says that it is a mischievous misnomer to describe the route from England to Australia via Canada as All-Red. The calling of the route, which is mainly maritime, by a false name, will neither prevent commercial competition in peace, nor frighten victorious admirals in war time from shutting it up like a telescope. The attempt to delude the popular opinion by means of emotional clap-trap may again impose upon the nation the pains and penalties of a gigantic costly sham. After Mr R. B. Haldane's warning, cabled on December 18th, if the nation wishes to postpone so terrible a catastrophe as the abandonment of the two-power standard, it must refuse to listen to colonial appeals for money to multiply the sea routes in order to facilitate commercial operations, unless the colonies consent to share the responsibilities of the cost of the maintenance of the fleet. If the several parts of tho Empire cannot, or will not, combine to provide lhe naval power necessary to secure what is'a common essential to all of them, the sceptre of the sea must pass from British hands.