Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-10-12
AUSTRALIA STATESMAN TALKS
ON result OF PANAMA CANAL

OUT this stupendous undertaking to a
successful conclusion. 1t has been i
big work done in a big way, and one
4, l. naturally anxious to see the Unit
ed States get all the benefit possible
from the results consistent with its
, obligations to the rest of the world"
Sir George said that there is quite
healthy trade between his country
! and the United States, and that the
trade is increasing, but not so fast IS
the trade with Germany.
About 'graft'?' Sir George was
asked. You have read something Of
the situation in the police department
here. Do persons in public life in
Australia use. their public positions
for purposes OF private gain"
NO, they do not. All our great
men - mean great politically -
have died poor. Graft as you under
stand it We don't have. For a great
many years l was connected with the
treasury and in confidential posi-
ton. never came across anything
Of the kind the whole time was
there"
Next to talking of Australia Sir
George seemed to find most pleasure
in talking of the British empire. He
discussed the German war scare"
He was not inclined to take the Ger
man menace" too seriously, but at the
same time he said it is not to be ig-
nored. H., ...-.....
W.. Tou- IkM;.ohioro,,0
"A great deal of the war talk and
more of the war print is mischiev-
ous,' he said. II do not think that
the names of nations are taken in vain
so much in any connection as with
war. In Germany, for example, there
is war party-an active war party
but there is also a peace party, and
the peace party is probably many
times as large as the war party. But
everything provocative OF hard feeling
is reported and exaggerated, while
ings of the peace party. l believe
that the German nation is essentially
a peace-loVing nation. y
AT the same time We can not be
blind to the growth of some other
navies-the German navy and yours,
for example. We have to deal with
facts as they are and act accordingly
For myself, / would like to see two
British battleships built for every one
of the Germans, because | think that
a strong British navy is the best
guarantee for the peace of the world. !"
rs Australia doing anything to-
ward the general defense?" was ask
ed. In Canada the navy question
has been the subject of great deal
of discussion and has not been set
aled. What is Australia doing for
defense?" .-.- 49,. a
IN the first place." he replied, "ey-
cry boy of fourteen years must enroll
in the military service. He becomes
a cadet. From that time on until the
age of twenty-six he is kept under
severe thing as CONSUMPTION, but is
is not at all an amateur affair. He
has to attend camps every year and
there are drills at regular intervals.
Three years ago we had the sense to
get Lord Kitchener out there, and he
went all over Australia and gave us
a coordinated scheme, which we are
following out.
Austraiia's Navy.
Then as to the fleet Australia is
going to have a navy of her own In
ten years time we shall have fifty
war vessels and shall relieve the
home government of the policing of
the Southern Seas entirely. The Aus
tralian government will have full con-
troll over this fleet, but definite
scheme of cooperation with the Brit
ish navy is being worked out Wa
tiers are being defined. We shall be.
responsible for definite stretch.
while the British navy will continue
its responsibility where we leave off.
If two squadrons, one from the Aus
tralian navy and the other from the
British navy, should act together then
the senior officer in either squadron
would take command of the whole. If
an Australian squadron should go into
waters patrolled by a British feet it
would ipso facto come under the Brit
ish commander.
How far does your official position
DllHS YOU lHLo CONTACT VIII the MIn-
listers in England?'' he was asked.
"My official position-not much,
was the reply. But unofficially Il
have seen very great deal of the
leading men of both parties. should
think there are few men who have
been dined and entertained so much
as l have. And they treat me with
the greatest cOnfidence-men of both
sides, too