§ Colonel YATEasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the greater exposure of the Eastern Crown Colonies to attack from the sea, and of the larger volume of the sea-borne trade of the Eastern Dependencies as compared with that of the self-governing Dominions, he will take steps to ensure that Imperial Naval Defence shall be discussed at the imperial Conference in regard to the interests of the Dependencies as well as in regard to the interests of the self-governing Dominions; and whether, in view of the influence which the naval defence of the Dependencies must, on account of their strategical position, necessarily have on that of the self-governing Dominions, he will reconsider the advisability of having these strategic problems discussed as a whole at the Conference, rather than as separate and unconnected problems at different times?
§ The PRIME MINISTERAs the safety of the Eastern Crown Colonies as well as that of the self-governing Dominions depends on our power to secure the command of the sea—the discussion at the Conference of Imperial Naval Defence must naturally and necessarily involve consideration of strategical questions affecting the defence of both.