Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-03
PESSIMISM REGARDING ENGLAND.

declares. is a revolution like that of the
party Of Jaures in France. In any event |
the lords should not permit the budget to
be voted unless the country Is con-
suited.
England is thus confronted by con-
ficts both interior and exterior The
latter has been closely |
Double studied and discussed in
,r.. the conference which has
recently terminated In
London. The subject necessarily has been |
England's means of defense against at
tack, and this meant a thorough discus
sion of the army and the navy.
For the army, Lord Roberts urged OBJ
ligatory military service for all. convinced
that England should have a large and |
efficient army capable of rendering effec- |
tive aid to peninsular ally. England |
for a fact had been aroused by Lord Rob- |
erts' warning that Germany was pre-
he said, is ready to sacrifice her entire |
fleet In order to protect her transports"
Mr. Haldane. secretary for war, Is now |
engaged In organizing an army of volun- |
teers. which. 1t Is generally understood, |
is to be followed by recourse to conscrip- |
ton.
The colonies are asked to create colonial !
armies which in war would be subject to
the orders Of the imperial war Office. Mr..
Haldane has obtained the assent Of the
colonial premers to the creation of a |
general staff for the colonies. Also, recog- |
milton of the principle Of a common uni
form, organization, exercises, equipment.
arms and munitions. There Is to be no
difference between the army at home and
that in the colonies. 1t is to be an i'm
perial army susceptible OF being COM
ms MI frnYY fhn fv,,YN fol o@I
Lord Kitchener will be charged with the
command in Australia and New Zealand
and Gen. French with that in Canada.
For the navy, Mr.. MacKenna. secre
both delicate and difficult. Defend the
empire with powerful navy, that is the
question. How may the colonies be made
factor? Should each colony possess its
should it contribute by subsidies to the
maintenance of an imperial navy placed
entirely at the disposal of the government
at London and serving as a defense both
of the home government and the colo
MES?
There arises the question of the union
Of these colonies with the home govern
ment in view of their re-
colonial cent manifestations for
Union. autonomy. English states
men for long time have
had 81 consideration the fact that Eng
land was finding 1t difficult to keep her
colonies unless she accorded them inde-
pendence. There is the rub. Canadians
Zealanders and Australians are very jeal-
Gus of their independence. and already. in
recognition Of their pretensions England
has accorded to the commonwealth of
Australia the direction of its own navy.
Canada formally refused, as she did in
1902, to furnish Great Britain subsidies
either in money or war vessels Canada
will participate in the defense of the en-
pire after her own fashion She will con-
struct Canadian navy, which first of all
shall protect the coasts Of the Dominion.
and. second, which may cooperate with
the home navy.
The union Of the imperial government
| and colonial navies, 1t Is manifest. can only
be achieved with extreme prudence not
| that their loyalism may be doubted. but
their loyalism is extremely punctilious.
1t is necessary" wrote Canadian jour-
nal. recently, that we may be always
free to give or refuse our support I'm
peria1iSm has thus created in the United
/ Kingdom duties rather than rights. and
this situation contains manifestly the
germs of many difficulties. Mr. Mac
Kenna's task, therefore, is by no means
an easy one.
The idea Of a Canadian navy took root
III 1000, WHEN I1dC government undertook
to protect it's fisheries on the Atlantic
and on the great lakes. 1t constructed
gunboats and expended from 1885 to 1907
about $3,2OO,OOO. and the actual budget of
its maiden marine reaches 100000. 1t
might be assumed from the recent de-
bates in the Canadian parliament that
the naval question had been precipitated
by the English panic. 1t is not SO for a
fact. for the question was up In January,
more than a month before the famous
| speech of Mr.. Mackenna.
AT the conference in London in 1907
Lord Tweedmouth conceded to the domin-
ions the privilege of separate and indie
pendent fleets Besides. Australia was
accorded the right to place the southern
cross on the union jack as it's flag Lord
Tweedmouth desired that the colonial flo
tila should be composed of submarines
but finally complete fiotila for Austria
liza was granted.
South Africa will maintain the principle
of direct contributions to the imperial
governments naval treas
Smaller ury, for the reason that
r the new African dominion
is not yet constituted, and
has not taken part in the conference.
New Zealand likewise maintains its con-
tributions, which it has increased to
1oo,too POUNDS, because 1t does not 1eel
itself strong enough to maintain a fleet
on its own resources. In a country so
small as New Zealand" said Sir Joseph
Ward in 1907. I'm a country which is
developing and which is relatively young,
we cannot assume the obligations which
the creation of local marine imposes"
Thus the small colonies will remain, for
the present under the British wing.
Canada and Australia will have, on the
contrary. q stated, their distinct navies.
Canada will construct fleet of ten YES
sells, which will include torpedo boats and
cruisers. the latter being of the specified
type of the Bristol and the Boadicea.
They are to have wide range of action
and be employed on service along the Pa
citic and the Atlantic coasts
Halifax and other stations are to be
improved. their docks repaired and made
large enough to contain the Dread