Sir William White delivered a most interesting lecture on "An
Imperial Navy" at the Society of Arts on Wednesday night. He had discussed the question with men of all classes in all parts of Canada, and found them agreed that the Navy must be regarded as the common possession of all parts of the Empire, and that the immense cost of a supreme war fleet ought no longer to be borne by the Mother-country alone. Although a section held that Canada needed no navy for the protection of her coasts and oversea trade, his own deep conviction was that strong national feeling in the Dominion revolted from any policy involving dependence upon the United States, and recognised that such dependence must necessarily be paid for dearly. But while the Dominion would take its share in the responsibilities attaching to all citizens of the British Empire, it was not for those at home to prescribe the method or the degree of the assistance to be given : that must be settled by Canada. The .full effect of carrying out the policy recommended by the recent Conference would be to make other countries realise that future competi- tion for naval supremacy would involve a contest not merely with the resources of Great Britain, but with those of the whole Empire, and that fact might well give them reason to pause. "The sooner that fact was established, the better it would be for the peace of the world, and the welfare of the people of maritime countries, upon whom expenditure on naval armaments had long pressed heavily."
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