THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 1909. AN IMPERIAL FLEET.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9571, 18 August 1909, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 1909. AN IMPERIAL FLEET.

Mr Archibald Hurd, writing in the "Fortnightly Review," in view of the Defence Conlerence and in view j of the offers of ships for the Royal I Navy by New Zealand and Australia, suggests the formation of an IrnI perial fleet, "distinct from the Royal ( navy, yet in association with it; J distinct from any local colonia forces, and yet linked with them." He recommends that the Imperial squadron should consist at first of eight cruisers of the Dreadnought type. Each oversea dominion, Canada, South Africa, the Commonwealth, and New Zealand, would contribute one unit; India would provide another, and the Mother Country four, so as to have one ship in reserve, and eight always at &ea. The writer considers that the best class of ship far the purpose would be an Indomitable, which he I describes as a "battleship in gun I power, with the speed of a torpsdoboat destroyer, and a measure ot arI mour protection superior to that \oi the first-class battleships of ten I years ago." Mr Hurd considers that such a scheme would provide for "concentration of naval force," which he rightly describes as "tie secret of victory." Each of the five divisions of the oversea Empire, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India, would contribute a like sum, £231,500 annually to the maintenance of this Imperial flying squadron, the neuclus of an Imperial navy. The flying Squadron would be always ready to "go anywhere and do anything," and it would form a floating staff college for the naval defence forces of the several dominions. It would also serve as "thr connecting link between the local mobile forces of each of the oversea Dominions and the Royal Navy, and it would be the training squadron into which the most promising naval officers and men of the , overseas nations would be drafted in order to complete their training. Continually circumnavigating the globe, the squadron would form the bust school of seaman ship to be found under any flag."