AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE. ANGLO-JAPANESE ALLIANCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3001, 25 September 1908, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE.

ANGLO-JAPANESE ALLIANCE.

. —-*7 SUGGESTION BY LORD BRASSEY. Received September 24, 11 p.m. LONDON, September 24. Lord Brassey, in a letter to "The Times," expresses profound satisfaction at the Admiralty's new policy, m regard to Australian defence. The loan of cruisers would be of great service to Australia and at little cost to Britain, who, being boU:id to continue building, always had vessels ( to spare. Lord Brassey advises. the carrying out of the policy of ungrudingly lending more than two ; cruisers if there be good use fof \ more; and also freely lending officers and instructors. The inaugural stage of handing over the cruisers should be done with all the pomp and spectacular 1 effect, of which Admiral Sir John STr i sher is a past" master. Ths loaned vessels should form part ( of the squadro ** P f our most P° werful cruisers. MR DEAKIN-S > Received September 25, I%M fcm. MELBOURNE, Mr A. Deakin has tabled the fctttfrespondence he htv had w*th tWe" , Admiralty in reference to his proposal to establish an Australian fleet. Thr scheme, as understood by the Admiralty, is for the! Commonwealth to equip and maintai. i a flotilla of six destroyers, seven eu bmarine?, and two depot ahips, the mi » to be supplied by the Imperial Go\ ernment.but as manv as possible to be Australian -citiiteflsi! tho administrate'™ control ;to remain with the Comh onwealth, subject to Admiralty a editions. The estimated total coat of ~ f f e sm .P s is £1,2/17,500. The annua. » maintenance,. including repairs, 8^ oreS j d nd other itema to be £IBO,OI °' ana 'the pay of 79 officers and 1,121, men £160,000, making: a total annua. cosC ot-£§46,,000, '. The Lords off the Admiralty v ?on " sicter- that security from overt attack of the-Empire generally won bejbest secured bythe operative of th e Imperial Navy distributed as strategic necessities*of moment dictate*

At the same time they recognise conditions the estab>lishment of a local flotilto actiftg iro conjunction with the Imperial! force 1 would greatly assist. They are tfeady to co-operate in uhe' formation) of such flotilla subject to aaitfelactopy arrangement with regard to l genera administration'of the force,

iW '" "< Received September 24y 9'.3B>iHm.LONDON, September 24.. M Yamaya, the new Japanese Charge d' Affaires in London,, interviewed, stated that the AnglbiJ'apanese Alliance was one: of Japan.s most valued possessions workingfor peace.Not a single Japanose dreamed of war with United States. no policy of aggression even in' the Pacific or Manchuria.