IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2568, 31 July 1909, Page 5

IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

SPEECH BY MR. ASQUITH. AN IMPORTANT UTTERANCE. 'United Press, Association—Copyright. (Received July 30, 10.40 p.m.) LONDON, July 30. In Committee of Supply on the navy saml. army Estimates, Mr. Asquith, in the course of an important speech describing the working of the Defence Committee, said that, when Mr. Balfour formed it seven years ago, considerable doubt and some apprehension were expressed whether At could be adapted to our ordinary administrative ■machinery, and particularly to the maintenance of separate responsibility in the War Office and the Admiralty. Vor himself, he desired to say at once that, having during the past four years •worked ,in intimate and continuous relation with the Defence Committee, he ■regarded it as, besides a valuable, an indispensible part of the administrative organisation. It was ari advisory, not an executive committee. This, while the Cabinet must always he responsible for the national policy and the War Office and the Admiralty must always be responsible for the execution of the policy so determined upon, the Defence ■Committee did not intervene cither in one or the other of these departments. Its functions arose owing to' the neces-‘ sity felt in all great countries, in none •feo) pressingly as in Britain, for coordination of the work of the army and the navy; and it was the business of the Defence Committee to study the best provision, from time to time, of the military and naval requirements of the Empire as a whole. Hence, it must be flexible, and there must be power to add to it ad hoc.

THE COMMITTEE QF DEFENCE.

A REVIEW OE ITS FUNCTIONS.

(Received July 30, 11.20 p.m.)

Air. Asquith continued: He hoped, before the* representatives of tho Dominions'left the country, an opportunity would occur of inviting somo of them to participate in a meeting of the Defence Committee to consider some of tho problems affecting them equally ■with us. The Committee would thus include representative men from all parts of the Empire. A portion of the Com•niittee’s work was confidential, but he might say it included exhaustive inquiries, in the first instance by subcommittees, on such subjects as tho military needs of the Empire, in respect to recent changes in. army organisation, also as they were affected by the defence of India, the strategical aspects of the Firth and Clyde canal, aerial navigation, and our policy regarding a channel tunnel. The Government also bad a Colonial Defence Committee, which, "for a long timo past, had been watching colonial aspects of Imperial defence. Similarly the Government in 1909 established a Joint Naval and -Military Committee of Defence of Home ports.

LORD CHARLES BERESFORD’S

ALLEGATIONS

STILL UNDER CONSIDERATION

(Received July 30, 11.50 p.m.)

Mr Asquith continued: Inquiry into Lord Charles Beresford’s allegations re- ( specting the distribution of tho fleet in Home waters had been impartial and thorough, but the Committee had not finally adopted their report. Therefore, tlio matter, in that sense, was still sub judice.

THE POSSIBILITY OF INVASION.

AN OPTIMISTIC DECLARATION

Another investigation./ of more comprehensive character, was a fresh inquiry, at Lord Roberts’ instance, into the possibility of invasion. “A special sub-committee,” said Mr. Asquith, *'whereof X am chairman, sat for nearly ycsir. Tho whole subject w&s rhhutely studied, and th. 6 insani--piously reached after conceding the most favorable possible conditions for a hypothetical invasion, were: (1.) As long as our naval suprem-" acy is adequately assured, invasion on a large scale, such as contemplated by Lord Roberts, • namely, the transport to these shores of 120,000 to 150,000 men, is absolutely impracticable, but, on the other hand, if we permanently lost command of the sea, whatever might be the strength or organisation of our military forces here at Home, even though you had an army like the Germans’, not only is it impossible that Britain could escape invasion, but her subjection by the enemy would be inevitable.” (Received July 31, 12.50 a.m.) Mr. Asquith continued: “Chir second proposition was: (2.) Besides a Homo army sufficient to repel small sporadic raids, we must have an army adequate to compel any opponent contemplating ■invasion to come with so substantial a force as to make it impossible to avoid our fleet and to land. “Nobody would undertake the task with less than 70,000 men.. I do not believe that 70,000 men would ever get through. That was our conclusion after the most careful investigation ever made.” THE DEFENCE CONFERENCE. MR HALDANE AND THE AUSTRALIAN- POLICY. LONDON, July 29. At the Empire Club- banquet, Mr Smuts declared: ‘’The Defence. Conference is one of peace, at which it is "intended to consult. regarding measures < .

CABLE NEWS.

for defence, which" conduce to tho world’s peace. The South African colonies, which have known, war, will have none of it.. They entered the conference with feelings of amity towards tho rest of the world, but should the occasion arise, the experience- gained and the endurance shown in the struggle in South Africa "would be utilised in the. defence of the Empire.” The conference sitting at the War Office is expected to be briefer than anticipated. Mr Haldane’s views generally harmonise with the aims of the Australian policy. No long discussions are expected on army matters. Naval problems will occupy more attention. Lord Charles Beresford, in a letter to tho newspapers, declares that the Government in postponing the construction of four* contingent battleships in April, lost the last opportunity which their procrastination left them for securing the Empire’s safoty without risking a crisis, which might well evoke a panic in tho future.

A TERRITORIAL RESERVE. 100,000 OLD MEMBERS INCLUDED. LONDON, July 29. The territorial reserve scheme (cabled on April 12th) creates three kinds of reserve territorials, including 100,000 old territorials; secondly, a technic «1 branch, consisting of medical men, engineers, motorists, aviators, veterinary surgeons; thirdly, veterans, consist-f.g of officers and men who have served in any military forces of the country’s organisation, are asked to register their names.

THE CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS.

COMMITTEE OF MILITARY EXPERTS APPOINTED.

(Received July 30, 9.35 p.m.) LONDON, July 30

Mr. Haldane participated in yesterday’s discussion at the Defence Conference, which was chiefly confined to memoranda relating to the Empire’s military defence and its future organisation. Committees of experts were appointed to study details. It is probable that a similar procedure will be adopted in connection with naval defence, when the Conference re-assembles on Tuesday next.