EMPIRE DEFENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3175, 28 April 1909, Page 5

EMPIRE DEFENCE.

THE DREADNOUGHT ISSUE. A DECLARATION. FEDERAL MINISTRY FIRM. United Press Association—ByElectric Tlcgniph Copyright. Received April 27, 9.35 a.m. MELBOURNE. April 27. Speaking at the Eight Hour Demonstration, the Federal Premier (Hon. A. Fisher) said the Government had no intention of adopting the suggestion to make the Dreadnought issue a non party question and submitting to the will of Parliament if it should decide in favour of presenting a Dreadnought to the Imperial Government. The Federal Government, Mr Fisher said, had dealt with the defence question on its merits, and intended to stand or fall by its proposals.

DREADNOUGHTS DISCOUNTED. Received April 27, 9 a.m. LONDON, April 26. Addressing a private meeting of several members of the Parliamentary Navy Committee, Admiral Lord Charles Beresford declared that the Admiralty was withia its rights in relieving him of his command of the Channel Fleet. He had no feelings of animosity in connection'with the matter. Replying to the Committee, Lord Beresford remarked that Dreadnoughts could not, owing to ther size, be utilised for some effective purposes in the same way as ordinary battleships. The admiral discounted the idaa of sea fights at a distance of 7,000 yards. Such engagements, he said, were unlikely to prove serious.