EMPIRE DEFENCE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10710, 2 September 1912, Page 5

EMPIRE DEFENCE

CABLE NEWS

(United Freu Auociatisn~fts Electric Telegraph—Copyright.).

SINGii OR SEPARATE POLICY

NEWSPAPER COMMENTS,

(Received Last Night, 5.5 o'clock.)

LONDON, August 31

The times disavows having anticipatI ed in an article in Tuesday's issue a separate Australian policy in the Pacific, as a Sydney cablegram suggests.: The Times denies being immediately concerned in the arrangements- of the Defence Conference of 1909 r which adopted the best measures at present cpon, but Canada's changed policy greatly affected the circumstances under which they were framed. The* Times asserts that the Empire must', ultimately choo.se between separate, policies and separate fleets, or one policy and. a single fleet. Continuing,' the Time's states hat it always cordially approved of Australia's present' form of assistance, as the only policy at present open ; but it expresses satisfaction., as an immediate measure of [its advice over the policy of .subscription. This must not, Jowever, induce the belief that security is permanently guaranteed by nieasrares of that kind. Commenting on the recent able navial articles, the-Times, which) published them, says it regards, themas having been inspired by Australia, and adds.—"A single policy cannot be reconciled to divided fleets,, which cannot be galvanised at the. touch of war into corporate life. We cannoti have three or four navies in peacetime, and one in war time. Naval history has shown that disaster:- Ur-3 happened to allied fleets. Th • memorandum of 1911 gives a solirj ■-.•'• ■'-■ -.

many of the immediate problem.-. ;-;!> does not deal with the problems ;.s a whole."

"The Hon. R, L. Borden's visit,". the article continues, "opened many; eyes to features which were previously not apparent, and which are likely to; lead to practical steps towards tha f ideal cf'oW policy one fleet, without •:prejiidie'e s embodied in the principle of local navies iiiiHer separate control."

The Daily News states that a single • Imperial fleet, under single control, has no chance of acceptance by the Dominions. The -.moral of tlib iMperial Conferences is that the. Imperial. Federation has lost whatever in- ' Alienee it had in the Dominions. Those in the Motherland who are faithful to the Federation idea, imagine that the naval defence question, discussed in a day of panic and international

hatred is unable to do-what was impossible in an atmosphere cf calm and reason.

"Sir Wilfred Laurier," the News continues, "spoke for Australia and South Africa- equally with Canada,

when he attacked tKe Federationiste' idea of an Imperial Union." Tho Chronicle says.—"There is no question of drawing the Dominions against their wills. Nothing can be said in favour of a rigid scheme of defence regardless of local conditions and desires, but the Dominions see

that Britain is forced more and more to concentrate the existing navy for the obvious protection of trade routes.

It would be much more effective if the whole Empire participates in the.Dominions' impulse toshare the bur-

den. and sets the foundation of a

scheme. The Empire's statesmen, have before them the task of determining the nature of a- superstructure plan of defence. There-muse be co-operation and methods'"adopted, so that the various parts may be linked together to form a smoothly working whole.