The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-11-26
FOR COLONIAL
NAVAL UNIT
Australians Planning Details for
Their Help for the Mother
Country.

LONDON.-Col. J. F. G. Foxton, the
delegate of the commonwealth govern
ment at the imperial defense confer
enee, has been actively engaged in set
Ting various details with the admiralty
in connection with the scheme, and
referring to the matter he said to
Reuter- S representative: "Nothing can,
of course, be done, until the necessary
legislative authority has been received.
The commonwealth government has
been apprised Geographically of every
stage of my negotiations here, and the
bill dealing with the naval side of
Australian defense will be introduced
into the commonwealth parliament i'm
| medlately on receipt in Melbourne of
my detailed dispatches. These may be
expected to arrive in a week or so.
| "The legislative proposals on Aus
| tralian military defense, which have
just been introduced, largely follow the
lines advocated by myself. A great
point is the retention of the existing
| militia until something tangible has
been put together to take its place
| 1t is ill my opinion a very wise provi
| sion to exempt from service the in
habitants of sparseiy populated dis
| trlcts. for there are many instances in
which, owing to distance, the period
| set aside for training would be almost
wholly occupied in travelling. The bill
provides for what is practically com
! pulsory training up to manhood. This
! is strong measure, but it is one on
which all political parties in Australia
are agreed in general principle. There
| is no reason to doubt that this meas
ure will be welcomed generally, for the
| public think We have a possible danger
| in the future.
Gas regards naval defense, it is pro-
posed that we shall commence at once
| the building of the larger vessels of
! the Australian unit, as these would
| take two to two and a half years to
| complete. The other ships will be pro-
| ceeded with at dates which will make
| their completion synehronize with that
| of the larger vessels. Thus, by June,
| 1912. or. at all events, the end of that
| year, the present Australian squadron
will be relieved and replaced by the
Australian feet unit-whch is the of
| fetal name for the Australian navy.
| The whole scheme for naval defense in
| the Pacific comprises three feet units
the Australian unit, the China unit
and the East Indies unit-each being
| of the same strength, as follows:
| cone armored cruiser of the Indom-
liable class, three armored cruisers of
| the Bristol class. and six destroyers,
with the necessary complement of sub
marines.
''All the property of the admiralty
| IN Australia, such as the dockyard at
Sydney, will pass into the possession of
| the commonwealth. 1t may be as
! sumed that Sydney will be the base for
the Australian unit. Our feet remains
| absolutely and entirely under the con-
troll of the commonwealth government
except in time of war, and until it is
| offered to the imperial government for
| service.
| Gas to the cost of the. Australian
unit, the commonwealth government it
self defrays all expenses of building
| and eguipping our ships, the annual
cost of which, including interest on
| sinking fund, is estimated at $3.50, !
600. The difference between S2,500,0 900
! and the estimated annual cost is to be
paid as subsidy by the imperial gov
eminent to the commonwealth until
the latter is in a position to assume
the whole burden This will be clear
saving to the imperial government of
at least $1,500,000 or $2,000,00O an
nually.
"Until we are able to provide our
| officers and men we shall borrow them
from the imperial navy and pay Aus
tralian rates of pay. I am informed
that the applications for service viii
meet the demand. As regards officers
and men, our ultimate purpose Is t.
have our own people. For this pur
pose we shall establish training col
leges and probably by the end Of ter
years we shall have an efficient service
of trained Australians.