A STRANGE SPEECH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3113, 11 February 1909, Page 5

A STRANGE SPEECH.

COMMONWEALTH NAVAL FOLICY. WHAT IT MIGHT BE TURNED TO. Received February 10, 10.15 a.m. SYDNEY, February 10. Mr Johnson, a member of the House of Representatives, speaking at a Loyal Orange gathering, said they would have to carefully watch the naval policy of the Commonwealth, because under the guise of creating an Australian navy the party in pjwer wera striving to get the nucleus of a navy, but not to act in conjunction with the British fleet. Some of them would not say all they had in their mind's eye, but they looked for the time when they would be able to turn an Australian fleet against the British fleet in Australian waters. The sentiment was there, and the spirit was being actively fanned in quarters which the Orange institutions actively opposed. AN HYSTERICAL CHARGE. ■' "AS FOOLISH AS IT WAS FALSE." i Received February 10, 10.30 p.m. MELBOURNE. February 10. The Minister cf Defence characterised Mr Johnson's statement, that in certain quarters the idea of constructing an Australian navy was to turn it against the British fleet, as an hys- j terical charge as foolish as it was j false.