NAVAL DEFENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9572, 19 August 1909, Page 5

NAVAL DEFENCE.

COMMONWEALTH'S PROPOSALS. THE PROVABLE COST. United Press Association—By Electric Telegrapfl OopyriKhtReceived August 18, 10.5 a.m. MELBOURNE, August 18. Mr Deakin, Federal Premier, staies that, though he has not received any statement from Colonel Foxton with reference to the acceptance of the Commonwealth's naval poposals, judging from the press cables, they have been accepted from first to last. The fact that the Commonwealth is to keep the complete control of the boats of her unit in time of peace will, no doubt,- be extremely gratifying to Australians. The project does not include a Dreadnought, since such a vessel would not display its full efficiency in the oceans in the neighbourhood of Australia. The unit will consist principally of cruisers, and be cne which will probably represent the highest present development in the way of swift cruisers. The proposals also provide for harbour defence, as well as arrangements for an Australian base. Mr Deakin estimated the cost of upkeep of the new unit at £750,000 to a million annually. He added: "It is part of the arrangement that the Commonwealth is to have the right to determine whether an emergency at any time is such as to justify Australian ve&sels passing to Imperial control. This means, in effect, that the federal Government will decide whether an emergency has arisen.

"An important feature is that the boats will, as far as possible, be both officered and manned by Australians." THE DEFENCE CONFERENCE. GOOD RESULTS. Received August 18, 10.10 p.m. LONDON, August 18. Sir Joseph Ward assured a private 1 conference of New Zealnnders yesterday in reference to the Defence Conference that he would go back to New Zealand with many good results which justifies him saying in general terms that he was confident that a very much better.condition of affairs would exist after the conference 1 than was ever the case before.