EMPIRE DEFENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3195, 21 May 1909, Page 5

EMPIRE DEFENCE.

NATIONAL TRAINING. LORD ROBERTS' BILL. United Press Association—By Eleotrio Telegraph Copyright, Received May 20, 10.55 p.m. LONDON, May 20. Lord Roberts has introduced a Bill into the House of Lords providing for a national four years' training with service for youths and men between the age of 18 and 3u years in the territorial force. The Bill was read a first time. CANADIAN NAVY SCHEME. SIR WILFRID LAURIER'S VIEWS. Received May 21, 12.20 a.m. OTTAWA, May 20. Replying to questions relating to the Imperial Defence Conference, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Premier, said in the Dominion House of Commons that he was aware that the resolution concerning the nucleus of a Canadian Navy as a contribution to the defence of the Empire had not given satisfaction in certain sections of Canadian opinion. The more advanced section favoured a money contribution to the United Kingdom to strengthen the navy. With that he did not agree. He realised that Canada should act fairly and squarely and as far as possible provide their own defence. After the resolution had been passed he ' informed the Imperial naval authorities that he thought it would not be wise for the Canadian navy to be part of the Imperial navy, but that any action taken should be in accordance with the views of the Admiralty. While the correspondence was in progress an invitation to the subsidiary conference in July was received. Sir Wilfrid Laurier admitted in reply to a question that he acquiesced with the last despatch.