IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2616, 25 September 1909, Page 5

IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

. • : rj— THE COMMONWEALTH PROPOSALS. CONGRATULATIONS FROM THE ENGLISH PRESS. United Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, Sept. 23. The “Standard” congratulates the 'Commonwealth upon the defence proposals. “To Australia,” it states, “may \ yet belong the high credit of having been first among the States of the Empire to have instituted compulsory military service. Mr Deakin was well advised to plan an organisation which will be a compromise between the system of maintaining a paid regular army of volunteers and the system of maintaining an immense unpaid force, recruited under compulsion. The cost of the dual organisation, as the scheme develops, may become very onerous, and in that case Australia will consider the advisability of extending the compulsory side of the organisation, in order to have an army fit to fight on equal terms with any troops ’it may encounter.’ ’ The “Standard” questions the periods of training arc adequate" relatively to the heavy cost to the population and the large proportion required to bear arms; it will indicate the urgent necessity for encouraging immigration' and development. The “Daily Graphic” states that the Commonwealth Defence Bill is of so noble a plan, arising from so generous and worthy an aspiration, that it would he almost impertinent to praise it.

The “Manchester Guardian” states that the effect of the arrangements made at the Colonial Conference in London is to diminish our potential strength in home waters by one cruiser and a Dreadnought. The “Manchester Guardian” deprecates Mr Cook, Commonwealth Minister for Defence, rest* ing his case for the new arrangements partly, at any rate, on the great naval superiority of Japan in the’ Far East, compared to that of Britain, and'remarks: “We should be very sorry to think that Australia is going to have a naval bogey of her own and make a Germany of Japan.”

THE DEFENCE CONFERENCE. MR ASQUITH’S STATEMENT. PERTH, Sept. 24. The Press Association correspondent, under date London, August 27th, writes: Mr Asquith’s statement in the House of Commons last evening made us acquainted with the generaL results of the conference on Empire Defence, hut there is more than one hiatus in details that will only be filled when the official documents are published in the autumn. The military side of the conference was a small matter which created no difficulties. No suggestion was made for interfering with the control of the dominions in anything relating to their own armies. Every detail of every kind, length of service, mature service, periods of drill, strength of establishments in regard, to all these the colonies and dominions were left absolutely undisturbed. But important suggestions had to he discussed respecting the standardising of forces, relating to such! matters a s uniformity of pattern of weapons and of drill formation of units, questions of transport, and other things affecting assimilation to the Home army, so that if ever the forces of the dominions joined with* those of Britain or India there would be co-ordination and unity. The work of the dominions will hereafter be directed not only'by their own home defences, but to the creation of an Imperial’army. If New Zealand or any other dominion introduce universal military service it will'be able to do so on its own independent lines. The naval work of the conference was of higher importance than anything referring to military affairs. The gathering, sprang primarily out of the New Zealand offer of a Dreadnought, followed by a si m il ar undertaking on the part of the Commonwealth. It°is no secret that those offers created embarrassment to the Home Government. They never expected that the historical speeches by Mr Asquith and Mr McKenna on the rapidly growing strength of the German army would arouse s uch a patriotic response among the colonies as an undertaking to bear some of the burdens of the Old Country. Expert opinion was decidedly against the acceptance of anything so large as a Dreadnought unless they could be used in, Home water s and be counted on as justification for reckoning it as.the replacement of a Home battleship. Public opinion resented that aspect of the gift. Moreover all naval men who looked at the increase of German cruisers were concerned as to the necessity for preserving the trade routes. It was obvious to everybody who had access to official opinion from the day the conference was summoned to the last hour of its sitting, that the Home Government strove to convert the offer of battleships into offers of cruisers. There ivas less difficulty in this respect with the Commonwealth than with New Zealand. Sir Joseph Ward, who had the advantage of being his own Prime Minister, capable of speaking for the Government, held strongly to his. original offer. The Commonwealth invited him to join in the creation of an Australian navj, •to be'manned and trained independently of the Home. Government, but Sir Joseph Ward preferred to rely upon the Imperial fleets. , . It follows therefore that the New Zealand arrangement with our authorities differs in many respects from that of the Commonwealth. It is this: Be-