THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 1912. COMMONWEALTH NAVY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10541, 25 January 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 1912. COMMONWEALTH NAVY.

The Australian Uommonwealth, in -its appeal to New Zealand to join its Federation, is probably inspired by the 'hope that a. combination of the whole- of the Pacific interests might result in the creation, of an Australian Navy, worthy of the name. New Zealand made one mistake in presenting the Admiralty with a Dreadnought, instead of .guaranteeing the interest upon a number of war vessels, to be constructed as occasion ai'ose. That mistake might easily have been eclipsed (by the fatal error of establisihing the micleus of> a, Dominion Navy which iwould become obsolete before it (had been properly launched. Our Legislature, however, adopted the wiser course of subsidising the British Navy and allowing the Admiralty to control the fleet as it thought best. Australia, in a moment of impulsiveness, resolved upon, another course. It decided to follow the example of Canada, and to establish a Navy of its own. But what has Canada done? (Speaking recently a. Quebec, Mr Pelletier, the Postmaster-General, said tliat already the type of vessel which Sir Wilfrid' Laurier had wished to build was out of date and practically useless. The new Government had

decided that it was high to put an end to such a state of affairs. The money deposited Dy tenderers for building other units of the Navy had consequently been returned, and the Conservatives were unanimous in "Wotting out .this most ridiculous page ct Canadian history, when the ] country had foisted upon it a Navy as powerless and useless for the defence of Canada as for the defence of the \Emipire." Wlhat lias happened in Canada will be almost certain to happen in Australia. The money expended upon the Com mamvealth fleet [ will be as good as thrown away, and the Government will be glad' to hand tihe vessels over to the Admiralty, to be applied to the best use possible. Apparently the only justification for the establishment of a fleet- in the Opmntonwealth is that it will find employment for a certain number of moil in shipbuilding, and in manning the vessels. So far as the defence of the shores of Australia is concerned, and the keeping open of the routes of trade, the .fleet will be worse^ ;i than useless. It 'will really prejudice the Admiralty in its work of organisation, and to this extent will injuriously affeot the interests of New Zea- | land. Canada has been quick to real- j is© the impossibility of creating a • separate unit in the 'defence of „the; Empire, and has abandoned the ill-1 conceived project of the L&urier Goi vernment. The sooner the Aus--1 tralian Commonwealth follows her example, the better .will, it be for the • security of the Pacific. There is no 'reason why Australia and: New .Zea(lard should not .supply a quota of'the, men required, :'for the Imperial Navy. .. The ABriii'raltr lias-displayed- a willL ingnesa to. accept contributions of bone arid &ine\vv as welbas „o£ money. If the prestige of the Empire is to be maintained, however, that the effect iveness of the Navy is to, ibe unimpaired:, ,tihe organisation and construction of wsrr vessels linust remain.,.-in tftie hands of tfie British Admiralty alone.