THE BRITISH NAVY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2471, 8 April 1909, Page 5

THE BRITISH NAVY.

A GOVERNMENT UTTERANCE. ■ • ■-'/ ■ v..' .■• • •■• • -

THE OLD StOBY RE-TOLD

United Press Association —Copyright / (Received April 7, 10.25 p.m.) LONDON, April 7. Mr. T. J. MacNamara. Secretary of the Local Government Board, at tho City Liberal Club, declared that thcro were two satisfactory features’ of tho naval debate; first, the. determination met with amongst all classes to maintain the navy unchallenged and unchallengeable ; second, ’ the colonies’ spontaneous recognition of their vital state (?). Pie added that the Government’s programme was sufficient to secure national safety. He denied that by April, 1912, Germany would get ahead of Britain. He admitted that our superiority in Dreadnoughts might at times be narrow, but he emphasised our preponderance in prc-Dreadnought ships. CONFERENCE ON NAVAL DEFENCE. DEPENDS ON AGREEMENT WITH. THE COLONIES.' (Received April 7, 10.5 p.m.) LONDON, April 7. In the House of Commons, Mr. Asquith, in reply to questions, intimated that any special conference on the naval defence of the Empire was dependent upon-an agreement in that direction between the Imperial and Colonial Governments. The. latter had not expressed any desire for such a conference. THE PRESENT POSITION: A NOTABLE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE. Tho “Chronicle,” in referring to tho proposals of the Opposition for a naval campaign, says it is most undesirable that the naVy should continue to bo dragged along party ruts. The fact is .there has been too much of tactics in this matter on both sides. The Government, for tacticaal reasons, Combined the cry of danger with the. hypothetical'way of meeting it. The Opposition, for tactical reasons, magnify the danger and reduce the hypothetical quartette of Dreadnoughts to phantom ships. Nobody believed that only four Dreadnoughts will be the sum total of the Government’s programme for 1909; yet, when the Government proceed to do what it already meant to, perhaps it will be represented as having been bullied into it. This absurdity ought to be prevented betimes. THE CANADIAN NAVY. A BILL TO BE INTRODUCED. A Bill, .creating a Canadian naval militia or force of volunteers whence the future navy will be recruited, will shortly lie submitted, with the Admiralty’s concurrence. It is hoped that the Bill will become law during 1909. THE SITUATION IN AUSTRALIA. SPEECH BY THE GOVERNORGENERAL. SYDNEY, April 7. At- the Sydney Show luncheon, the State Premier (Mr. Wade) and one or two other • speakers referred to tlie Dreadnought question, and the relations between the States of the Commonwealth. - , Lord Dudley, subsequently, in proposing the health of the president, said lie wished__to point out that the great thing on occasions like these was to avoid, if possible, placing anj’One in. a difficult position. The Commowealth Ministers were his advisors, and, as he expected his advisers to be loyal to him, so he hoped always to be loyal to them. It mattered- not to him who was in power, whether Liberal, Labor, or any other section. He would be loyalto them, and expected them to be loyal to him. He hoped that on occasions of this, sort political allusions to either Federal or State Governments would be avoided. He wanted to make it clear that he could only sit at gatherings where this rule was observed. AUSTRALIA’S DREADNOUGHT. DECLARATION BY~ LEADER OF FEDERAL OPPOSITION. United Press Association —Copyright (Received April 7, 8.55 p.m.) SYDNEY, April 7. Admiral Poore, referring to the Dreadnought offer, said that he had heard the movement described as hysterical. There could be nothing hysterical in the sympathy of her'cbildren towards the Mother Country. He added that whatever might be said, he wished them to remember that the bottom bad not yet dropped out of the British Navy... Mr. Cook, Leader •of the Federal Opposition, said that a Dreadnought would go to the Home Government as soon as the Federal Parliament could speak, and would he sent by tho earnest desire of tlie. whole people of the Commonwealth.

CABLE NEWS.