IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2574, 7 August 1909, Page 5

IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

CABLE NEWS. ■

NAVAL QUESTION DISCUSSED. COLONEL FOXTON JUSTIFIED IN HIS STATEMENT. Unitkd Pukhs Association—copyright LONDON, August 5. The Conference to-day discussed the naval phase of Imperial defence. MELBOURNE, August G. In connection with Colonel Foxton’s cabled statement in reference to the naval subsidy, Mr Dcakin, replying to questions in the House, said that Colonel Foxton was justified in making the statement he made.

According to Federal Ministers the assumption which has been given currency, that Australia is to agree with New Zealand and. other parts of the Empire in raising a. squadron in the Pacific is wholly unwarranted. It has not yet been settled that any cruiser fleet or presentation of a cruiser is to be the form which an alternative of the Dreadnought offer will take. No propositions of the kind have been cabled from the Defence Conference to the Government here.

SOME NOTABLE SPEECHES.

VIEWS OF COLONIAL DELEGATES

(Received August 6, 10 p.m.) LONDON, August C.

At the United Service Chib dinner, Sir F. Borden, Canadian Minister of Militia, said that a few years ago the Canadian forces were a disorganised mob. Canada could now put 50,bu0 men into the field, and another 50,000 in a few weeks. Canada was going to do its. duty with a navy, for which she would begin at once to lay the foundation. In the case of trouble, Canadians would join to help to maintain the Empire, would give .all the money they could get, and would help with men to man the fleet.

Colonel Foxton (Australian Commonwealth representative) said that the great bulk of the electors of Australia had come round to the view that the defence of Australia would not be in their waters, but that the crucial test might have to be fought many thousands of miles away from their shores. Australia was prepared to fall into line with the suggestions which might he made by the Imperial authorities. They hoped to maintain a standard which would bear fair comparison with the standard of the British navy, so that when the time came their ships might be able to do their fair share. , Australians would bear any burdens which might be thrown on Australia as an integral portion of the Empire. They in Australia claimed that blood was thicker than water, and realised‘ that the Empire consisted of one people .and one flag, and that there was one destiny for them all.

General Smuts, Transvaal, said that it was true that blood was thicker than water; yet, in another sense, there was something that was thicker than blood. The tie of honor was oven greater and stronger. He hoped, as time went on, that it would he more and more realised that it was not the tie of blood which held them together, but the tie of community of interests, of justice, of fair play and equality. When they saw the wonderful naval display at Spitliead they did not forget that, in the last resort, it was not machinery or honor or cold steel which told in a struggle, but nerve. A CANADIAN MINISTER’S DECLARATION. THE PEOPLE OF WESTERN CANADA ARE APATHETIC. (Received August 6, 10.30 p.m.) OTTAWA, August 6. Mr. Murphy, Secretary of Statei in the Dominion Cabinet, declares that the people of western Canada are apathetic in relation to Imperial defence, -and want closed freight cars more than battleships.