[TO THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR."]
SIR,—While staying on the Yorkshire moors, I have seen in a provincial paper an account of an interview with Mr. Deakin, the ex-Federal Premier of Australia, on the subject of Australian defence. The report of the • interview appeared originally in the Melbourne Evening Herald. . Mr. Deakin is represented as saying (inter alia) that the Australian defence force is inadequate in numbers, imperfectly supplied with war materials, and exceptionally weak. Coming from such a quarter, these are grave words, and having regard to the recent changes in policy adopted by our own AdminIty, they have raised in my mind the question whether we are not, in one respect at any rate, neglecting an opportunity of rendering Colonial defence more efficient without extra cost to ourselves. The Admiralty have condemned many so-called " obsolete " warships to the scrap-heap. Could not a number of these vessels have been offered to the Colonies, some for use as training-ships for Colonial Naval Volunteers, and others for use as Colonial coast-defence ships ? The cost of maintenance and of rearming the vessels with modern weapons would necessarily be borne by the Colonies. I write as a " man in the street " only ; but your well-known interest in all matters of Imperial defence has emboldened me to bring my question before your notice, and if you think it is worthy of any consideration, perhaps you will spare a little of your space for the insertion of this letter.—I am, Sir, &e:, Moorland House, Embsay. HAROLD F. WALKER.
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