EMPIRE DEFENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3184, 8 May 1909, Page 5

EMPIRE DEFENCE.

PROPOSED IMPERIAL CONFERENCE. CANADIAN REPRESENTATIVES. Received May 7, 8.35 a.m. OTTAWA, May 6. The Canadian Government has nominated Sir F. W. Borden, Minister for Militia, and the Hon. L. P. Brodeur. Minister for Marine, to represent the Dominion at the conference to be hell in London in July to consider the question of the defence of the Empire.

EARL OF CREWE'S VIEWS. Received May 7, 10.55 p.m. LONDON, May 7. The Earl of Crewe, spaaking at the Liberal Colonial Club, and rethe proposed conference, in July, said that He was not prepared to say that the time was absolutely rips for a full and complete discussion on the" whole question., of Imperial defence. It could hardly be expected that South Africa would speak with certainty on the subject until the union was an accomplished fact. On the other hand there had been so many incidents of importance—the fine soul-stirring offers of New Zealand and Australia, the not less hearty movement towards an improvement of the Imperial defence in Canada—which entirely justified an endeavour being made to arrive at some, at any rate, provisional conclusions, after talking the matter over in a friendly way. Received May 7, 11.45 p.m. LONDON, May 7.

The Earl of Crewe, continuing his speech, said hist view was that the sooner they could approach towards a common organisation for defence the better for the Empire. Such things as an Imperial general staff and a certain assimilation, he would not say identity, of organisation for the purpose of defence between the systems of the Motherland and the Dominions were all steps in the right direction, but local elasticity was not less necessary. "We could not do anything more unwise tnan to attempt to impose upon the great self governing colonies—a scheme which would be unpaletable to them," said the Earl. "In a sense each Dominion must work out its defence in its own way." He was glad to know the Government's action had the approval of both sides of politics because this certainly was a matter wherein they showed a desire for the country to act as one—a statement which was received with chesrs.