CAB7-4 — Page 623

Page 623

Page 623

is ripe for doing more than they are doing at present, that is, in providing entirely for our land defences. I intended to state to the Commission that the Colonies think their commerce of so much importance to England itself that Her Majesty's ships may be fairly expected to protect the sea-borne commerce.

5714. Do you think it is generally recognized in the Colony that the defence of a town on the sea-board is not necessarily secured by the presence of a Queen's ship immediately upon that part of the coast, but that in the various combinations and changes of war the defence may sometimes be given a 100 or a 1,000 miles away? Yes, that seems to me to be beyond doubt.

5715. There are one or two harbours on the Aus- tralian continent, such as King George's Sound, which stand in an exceptional position, and it is clearly not for the interest of the Home Government to go to the expense of defending them. There is a certain value, perhaps, attaching to them to all the Colonies, inas- much as, in time of war, if they fell into hostile hands, trade might be a good deal crippled and interfered with. Do you think that there would be any dispo- sition on the part of the Australian Colonies to com- bine for the defence of such a place. By combine, I mean, of course, in point of money, if it can be shown that such a point was one which was of substantial value to protect?-I have no hesitation in stating my opinion, without any qualification whatever, that it would be wise for the Colonies to combine for such purposes as this, and I have no right to assume that there would be any disposition not to combine. would be persons of influence, such as members of the Legislative bodies, who would object to such expendi - ture; but, on the whole, I think it would be approved as a wise expenditure, and I think it likely that the Colonies as a whole would fall into it.

There

593

5716. On another point, which is cognate to the question of the military college, we have had evi- dence as to the possibility of forming a central arsenal -a military depôt in Australia. The question is whether there is a sufficient demand to justify the creation of such an establishment, and the alterna- tives are either the manufacture of those articles of war

on the spot, or the creation merely of a depôt, to be supplied from England from time to time, and which would be available, of course, to the different Colonial Governments in Australia. How does it strike you, and which of those two alter- natives do you think would be most practicable ?—I do not know what to say about a central depôt; I should rather be inclined for depôts in the different Colonies, because I should think, at first sight that the warlike material would be of more vaine distributed than being in one central place, where the distances are so great. For instance, if any depôt of this kind were established, say in Victoria, the distance to Queensland or Western Australia would be very great.

5717. But would there be a sufficient demand, say in a Colony like South Australia, to keep such a depôt as that going?-You must always bear in mind that these Colonies are growing in population and importance. What they are to-day is no measure of what they will be to-morrow; their advance is certain. Nothing can possibly arrest that advance; and ten years hence they will be inconceivably more important than they are to-day, and the demand of all kinds will be much greater, and in such a work as that of the military defence of the Colonies we should be unwise if we did not look forward to the future, and calculate on a certain advance; it is not problematical at all, it is certain that the progress of those Colonies will go on in a greater ratio than the progress of any other countries in the world, looking to all the conditions. This very morning I was considering, in conjunction with the Agent-General for New South Wales, the expediency of manufacturing certain war- like materials in the Colony, aud I think, without reference to anything else, we shall take steps to do it. I am about making a communication to the Govern-

[1103]

ment of New South Wales, and which we have been for a long time considering, respecting the danger that might occur to us by importing all our warlike material.

5718. Is there any point which, from your great knowledge and experience, you could suggest to us on the subject of our inquiry?—I do not know that I could. I should be afraid to, at least I should hesitate to express any decided opinion, even where I had some considerable maturity of thought in my own mind on a subject purely military The only thing I can say is that we are quite prepared to provide for our own defence, and I think we are fully alive to the benefit of doing that in the most effectual way if we do it at all. What I mean by that is that we feel we have means and we are disposed to have our armament in the best order when we do order it, and we are able to obtain anything that money will procure to make our defences good within the reasonable re- quirements of the Colony.

5719. Sir Henry Holland.-As regards the estab- lishment of a central depôt you would differ from the opinion of the Sydney Government and the Military Committee that sat in 1881. They recommended "the formation of a central depôt for all the Australian Colonies, at which depôt gunpowder, small-arm ammunition especially, friction tubes, fuzes, shell, and other minor articles, should be manufac- tured." To that extent you would differ from them ?- Well, it hardly amounts to a difference. I am rather glad you have asked the question, as I gave no very cordial concurrence, I think; but I have hardly thought sufficiently on the subject; but it does appear to me at first sight, after the words I used before, that it would be better if in each important Colony there was a separate depôt. I have not formed, however, a decided opinion upon it.

5720. May I ask you, have you read the evidence that was given before the Commission and the Committee, and their Report ?-I read it very hastily at the time. The Commission was appointed on my recom- mendation, and the composition of the Commission was selected by myself.

5721. But upon that hasty perusal of their Reports could you go as far as to say that you felt a general concurrence in their recommendations and suggestions? I think the utmost I can say is that more weight ought to be attached to their recommendation than to my opinion on such a subject.

5722. Then I gather that, as regards any contri- bution by the Australian Colonies towards the naval defence, your view is rather in accord with the Resolution of the Intercolonial Conference, which was held in Sydney in January 1881. I will read the Resolution: That, in the opinion of this Conference, considering the large Imperial interests involved, the naval defence of these Colonies should continue to be the exclusive charge of the Imperial Government, and that the strength of the Australian squadron should be increased. That the members of this Conference pledge themselves to use all legitimate endeavours to procure the efficient fortifications and land defence of the several ports of the Australian Colonies at the cost of the several Colonies interested?"-I do not know whether there was a division on that subject; if there were, I think you would find my name recorded against it.

5723. You recorded your vote against it, and rather on the more liberal side, as may call it, namely, that the Colonies should be prepared to assist the Imperial Government to a greater extent than was considered by this Resolution. Dissenting from that Resolution, was it your view that it might be necessary, at some time hence, for the Colonies to assist the Imperial Govern- ment?--I have stated already that I think the feeling of the Colonies is to confine our expenditure to the land defences of the respective countries at present. If I voted against the Resolution, which I have no doubt I did, if there was a vote taken, I voted not so much to express my opposition to the Resolution, but that it was premature to put on record any such opinion as that then, especially with regard to the increase of the

7 M

Sir Henry Parkes, K.C.M.G.

19 May, 1882.

Page 623

314

Page 623

Page 623