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IMPERIAL DEFENCE.
to enter into a political federation with the mother country on fairly equal terms. In the period of growth of her Colonies, it is clearly the duty of the mother country to undertake the main burden of defence; but when you no longer require such a large proportion of your resources for the development of your territory, it is not unreasonable to expect that Colonial taxpayers will be prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder with the British taxpayer in bearing the common burdens, and that Colonial statesmen will be ready to take their place side by side with British statesmen in a Parliament or Council in which all parts of the British Empire shall be represented.
Local defences in Australia.Meantime your task in the common defence is to see that the forts which make Sydney and Melbourne two of the most strongly defended ports in the Empire, and which protect Thursday Island and King George's Sound, are kept properly armed and efficiently manned. If the Colonies wish to spend money on local naval defences for their ports, keep the force which is to man them efficient and contented. The Cerberus would probably act as a greater deterrent to hostile cruisers than the forts at the Heads. More important than either your forts or your ships are your military forces. You do not want a large force. What you have let it be efficient, properly equipped, and capable of taking the field against disciplined troops. A small but efficient military force in these Colonies would not only render you secure against any possible attack that might be made on your territory, but would also render valuable assistance in time of war by capturing the naval bases of the enemy in neighbouring seas. In time of peace popular opinion is often impatient of military expendi-47
