THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1912. IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 15 November 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1912. IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

Possibly the most important question that New Zealand, with the Commonwealth States, will have to face iu years to conve, will bo tho provision of an adequate naval defence, so that our shipping routes may be kept open and our shores protected against invasion. One of tho most healthy signs for the future of the Empire is that the Overseas Dominions are recognising that the full responsibility for naval defence cannot be allowed to rest with tlie Motherland. The recent military and naval developments in the Dominions has provoked instinted admiration from the leading public men and newspapers of England. The London Times, in an article on September 27th, said: —"It does not follow that our naval arrangements in Eastern waters call for any immediate change or development. We do not think they do. Australia and New Zealand are both facing their national responsibilities with courage, foresight, and zeal. Some malicious efforts have been made to belittle or distort the systems of universal military training which both, in consonance with Lord Kitchener's advice, have patriotically introduced; but. our Australian (and New Zealand) correspondents show how little these allegations are worth. On the .naval side their spirit has been no less keen,' and there has been the closest cooperation between the Australian Government and the Admiralty in all tho measures required for the establishment of the Australian Fleet. This steady 'awl considered development in Australian waters is probably all that the moment requires; but it obviously cannot suffice alone for tlio future security of . Imperial inter- ■ est.s in the Pacific. Moreover, sip;ns are not wanting that the temporary supersession of the 1009 programme (lictited by events is causing some | anxiety to both the Paeifio communi- | ties. Mr Allen, the able Minister oF , Defence in the now Cabinet which has

recently taken office at Wellington, culled attention to the position in :i .speech cabled by our New Zealand correspondent only two days Ago. In that utterance "he expressed apprehension at the isolation of tlio Pacific and dissatisfaction with New Zealand's association with the Ohin;v naval unit," and declared for closer co-operation in defence betwoon Now Zealand and the Commonwealth. Wo commented not long ago upon an article. by an Australian writer in the Round Table, which showed that a similar feeling is growing fast in Australia. It is presumably on this .•tceo-iint vh-'t Mr Fidier, the Commonwealth Prime Minister, has recently expressed himself in favour of biennial personal consultations between the different Imperial Cabinets. If that plan were Adopted, a conference would come due next year and would certainly serve a. valuable purpose. The suggestion is well worth consideration, and will, wo hope, be renewed. But even biennial conferences will not serve to keep the dominion Cabinets abreast of events, for, as we have already shown, the conditions of | Imperial defence have been profoundly modified since the Imperial Conference of only a year ago. The moial is irresistible, and it points, as we shall not. nest from urging, to the representation of the dominions by members of their own Cabinets in the Committee of Defence. All the 0-1-biuets would then be continuously in l touch, and every Parliament could look for information to a Minister of its own creation, whose knowledge of Imperial policy would be personal and . constantly refreshed."