IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9562, 7 August 1909, Page 5

IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

AUSTRALIA AND THE NAVAL SUBSIDYRUMOURED CRUISER SQUADRON. DENIAL BY MK DEAKIN. Uni ia Press Association—By Electric Telegraph Copyright. Received August 6, 10.20 a.m. MELBOURNE, August 6. With reference to the cabled statement that Colonel Foxton, the Commonwealth representative at the Imperial Conference, had published a denial of the reported intention of Australia to withdraw from the agreement as to the naval subsidy, Mr Deakiii, replying to questions in the House, said Colonel Foxton was justified in making the statement.

The Federal Premier continued : "The assumption which has been given currency that Australia is to agree£with New Zealand and other parts of the Empire in raising a loan to create a cruiser squadron in the Pacific is wholly unwarranted. It has not yet been settled that any cruiser fleet is to be formed, or what form the alternative to a Dreadnought will take. Ko proposition of the kind has been cabled from the Defence Conference to the Government here."

Received August 6, 10 p.m. LONDON, Aueust6.

Speaking at the United Service Club dinner, Sir F. Borden said that a few years ago the Canadian forces were a disorganised mob, but they could now put 50,000 men into the field,'and ancther 50,000 in a few weeks, Canada was going to do her duty with the navy, for which she was beginning at once to lay the foundation. In case of trouble Canada would join and help to maintain the Empire, would give all the money they could get and help with men to man the fleet.

Colonel Foxton said the great bulk of the electors in Au&tralia had come round to th 6 view that the real defence of Australia wou?d not be in their waters, but that the. crucial test might have to be fought many thousands of mile* away from their shores. Australia was prepared to fall in line with the suggestion which might be mads/oy the Imperial authorities. They hoped to maintain a standard which would bear a fair comparison with the standard of the British Navy so that when the tima came their union of ships might be found capable of taking its fair share of the bur Jens which might bs borne upon Austrlia ps an integral portion of the Empire. They in Australia claimed that bjjod was thicker than water, and realised that the Empire consisted of one people, with one flag, and that there was one destiny for them all.

General Smuts said it was true that blood was thicker than water, yet in another sense there wps something that was thicker than blood. The tie oil hxnour was even greater and stronger.