NAVAL OFFENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 8 May 1913, Page 5

NAVAL OFFENCE.

CABLE NEWS

(United Press Association — *>y Eltc- \ trie Telegraph—Copyriytit.)

AND CANADIAN SHIPS..

(Received Last Night, 9.50 o'clock.) OTTAWA, May 7> The Hon. W. White, Canadian Minister of Defence, speaking in the naval debate, said Britain would be compelled to build additional ships to defend the Empire if Canada did not build vessel 9.

ADMIRALTY AND DOMINIONS,

LACK OF UNITY

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE URGED.. (Received Lu-st Night, f).o0 o'clock V LONDON, May 7. ' • Ihe Daily Telegraph states that the highest Imperial interest*; are being endangered owing to i lie increasing absorption of British -Ministers in internal politics. ''The oversea states," tJie Telegraph says, "are concentrating their attention on defence. Their public "men are necessarily unfamiliar with the technical questions resulting; from individual sections of the'EmP :re , and are bindly searching for foundations on which to base a polity consistent with their own needs, and a permanent co-operation to safeguard the Empire. Even New Zealand is intent on developing a local', policy, and it is reported tha.t she i* anxious to retain her gift battleship m the Pacific. Every discussion on naval problems reveals absence of unity between the Admiralty and the oversea-s Dominions. The only remedy is a conference. Instead of dealing with the Hon. R. L. Borden, Canadian Prime Fillister, alone last summer, there should have been an Empire conclave." The article concludes by urging; an. immediate Imperial Conference..