1472 IMPERIAL UNITY [PART VIII
Powers. The only freedom which the Admiralty desired was
freedom so as best to protect Australia, not as best to protect
other parts of the Empire. The Conference, after hearing
Mr. Goschen, held that the statement of the First Lord of
the Admiralty with reference to the Australian squadron was
most satisfactory, and the Premiers of Australasia favoured
the continuance of the Australian squadron under the terms
of the existing agreement. All the Australian Premiers
except Mr. Kingston supported the resolution, and he
declined to vote pending further consideration of a scheme
which he put before the Conference for the establishment
of a branch of the Royal Naval Reserve in Australia. The
Premier of the Cape announced that in pursuance of the
resolution passed by the Legislature of that Colony in favour
of a contribution towards the navy, he was prepared to offer,
on behalf of the Colony, an unconditional contribution of the
cost of a first-class battleship, an offer later changed into an
annual contribution of £30.000. to which Natal added
£12,000 a year.
Various minor matters were discussed, and the Secretary
of the Colonial Defence Committee pointed out to the various
Colonial Premiers the steps which were required, in the
opinion of the Committee, to complete preparations for
any emergency. The Premiers undertook to consider the
views expressed by the Committee, and it was also agreed to
consider the suggestion made for an occasional interchange of
military units between the Mother Country and the Colonies.
§ 4. Tur CorLoNIAL CONFERENCE OF 1902
The next Colonial Conference was held in 1902 on the
occasion of His Majesty’s Coronation! The subjects indicated
in the invitation to the delegates—in this case the
Prime Ministers®>—were the political and commercial relations
of the Empire and its naval and military defence, but the
Colonies were asked to make suggestions of other subjects.
As in the case of 1897 the proceedings were treated as confi-*
See Parl. Pap., Cd. 1299 ; Jebb, Imperial Conference, i. 339-77.
* Canadian and Australian ministers also attended on their special
topics only.
