▁pou red ▁rid ic ule ▁on ▁Me igh en : ▁ ▁" What ▁does ▁he ▁[ Me igh en ] ▁offer ▁us ? ▁Something ▁we ▁can ▁grasp ? ▁What ▁is ▁the ▁substantial ▁alternative ▁to ▁the ▁renew al ▁of ▁the ▁Tre aty ? ▁The ▁answer ▁is ▁none ... Now ▁let ▁me ▁speak ▁plain ly ▁to ▁Mr . ▁Me igh en ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁Australia ... If ▁he ▁will ▁look ▁at ▁his ▁own ▁[ def ence ] ▁budget ▁and ▁our s ▁he ▁will ▁see ▁what ▁it ▁means ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁great ▁nation ▁like ▁America ▁as ▁his ▁neighbour , ▁under ▁whose ▁wing ▁the ▁Domin ion ▁of ▁Canada ▁can ▁nest le ▁safely ... I ▁must ▁regard ▁Mr . ▁Me igh en ' s ▁presentation ▁of ▁the ▁case ▁as ▁not ▁the ▁case ▁for ▁the ▁Empire , ▁but ▁as ▁the ▁case ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁of ▁America ." ▁ ▁But ▁in ▁the ▁end , ▁the ▁Canadian ▁view ▁pre va iled . ▁At ▁the ▁Washington ▁Conference ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 1 ▁the ▁Ang lo - J apan ese ▁Tre aty ▁was ▁replaced ▁with ▁the ▁Washington ▁Naval ▁Tre aty , ▁a ▁virt ually ▁un en force able ▁set ▁of ▁mult il ater al ▁dis arm ament ▁agre ements ▁designed ▁to ▁strength en ▁Pacific ▁stability . ▁The ▁treat y ▁comp elled ▁the ▁Royal ▁Australian ▁Navy ▁to ▁sc utt le ▁their ▁flags hip ▁battle c ru iser ▁H MA S ▁Australia , ▁whereas ▁the ▁Canad ians ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁any ▁capital ▁ships ▁of ▁their ▁own . ▁The ▁new ▁arrangement ▁was ▁cold