THE NAVAL POLICY.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14844, 9 December 1913, Page 10

THE NAVAL POLICY.

DISCUSSED BY CANTERBURY BRANCH OF NAVY LEAGUE.

New Zealand's naval policy was discussed hist night at the quarterly meeting of the Canterbury (..sow Zealand; branch of tho Navy League. 'i'iie.fre&ident (Mr J. J. Dougau; was in the ciiair. and tliere was *■ good attendance ot members.

jfroieaaur i>iuut, opening the discussion, saju tua.& lie was in a &oiu«wiiat aw£wai4 potation, owing to ftue iact luati capLaui Auuciei, wuo was u> lia-vu

uct'U Uio Uiit was unavuiuuoiy auseut. 'lue mci mat i\ew ZA*uanu was tanking out m a. uiutueut lino aa reminded its naval poucy coiuu not, ue l.ui/u£u.L, UO luteal ct/CU W> auy iacK Ol io>iuk>'. Tue awaiitttuiig oi tno niariuaio spirit appeattsi to uo us gitsat point, auci lie tuat tuo uoveriuutint iiaU couimencetl wut woik ou. tiie I'igiii lines. Jir Aia&aey nau suiteu tnat i..j native-born -Sew Zealuiiuer took kinuiy to a seafaring lil'e. tiiat so? Inere was, nowever, no denying that the Navy ouered a tno career to young .New Zeaianuers. A great point in tue Government's jiolicy was that no extra expense was to oe entailed on this training scheme. .Referring to the proposeu imrcnase of a Bristol type of cruiser by tne JSew Zealand Government at a cost of £400,000, he pointed out that Sir Joseph Ward has stated that the annual cost of upkeep would be £204,000, but Mr Massoy's estimate was £72,000. Summing up, he considered that New Zealand was not at present justified in embarking upon this further enterprise, taking all the circumstances into consideration. Facing hard facts, Now Zealand was as yet unable to take its proper place in naval defence. In the future he looked to a naval combination of Australia, Canada, South Africa, and, perhaps, India, providing a really strong fleet, but at present he thought New Zealand should cry a halt when it came to purchasing a cruiser. In other points, the Government's proposals had his^support. The Chairman stated that, while- he agreed with Professor Blunt on tho subject of training New Zealariders as seamen and officers ho held views diametrically opposed to tho last speaker's on tho Bristol cruiser question. He did not think that anyone would hold the view that a large flotilla of ships would ever be dispatched against Now Zealand hut volunteer shins—armed merchantmen —would probably lie in wait for rich cargo-carrying ships, and a cruiser of the Bristol type would be a valuable protection to our commerce. Australia had sot an example of which everyone should be proud. He believed that the Admiralty should have control of all shins, and that was to him a pleasing feature in New Zealand's naval policy. There were no valid reasons that he knew of why New Zealand should not commence to build tho nucleus of a navy. Calculated per head, New Zealanders were one of the richest peonies in the world, yrt they rmid but ss" per head towards the nrv keep of tho Navy, while in the Old Country tho amount paid was four time 3as large. The Rev. E. Chambers considered that a vessel of the Pioneer class was quite unsuitable for training purposes or as a fighting unit. As training vessels the "P" class were not fit-to live in Hβ would like to look behind the scenes and know why the three Bristols, so hndW required, were not. dispatched to New Zealand waters. The nnrphnw of a Bristol cruiser by New Zealand *d not meet with bis annrovnl: it would do little trood. and fould not by itself protect New Zealand's trade routes. Ho favoured the Government's training scheme. . , ~ Mr H. J. Marriner, speaking of the financial aspect, thought that if they were going to lot the presqnt financial set-back interfere with their attitude towards the Empire, it showed a very poor spirit of patriotism. . Mr C. J. Treleaven agreed that it was time New Zealand did more in the matter of naval defence. ' _ , ;, The Roy. Mr Chambers: We should be just as well as generous. Our national debt is £90 a head ;.in England it is £40. . Replying, Mr Marrmer pointed out that wars had increased England s national, debt, and a few Suez Canal shares were all they had to show for that expenditure. On the other hand, New Zealand's debt was largely reproductive. _ It was decided, on the motion of frofessor Blunt, seconded by Mrs Laurence: —"That this meeting views with pleasure the proposals of the New Zealand Government regarding the training of officers and men for the British Navy, but is of opinion that the time is not yet ripe for building warships for New Zealand." Professor Blunt also proposed the following resolution, which was seconded by the Rev. E. Chambers:—"That this meeting affirms the desirability of New Zealand re-opening negotiations with the British Admiralty, with the object of having two ships of the Bristol or a later class stationed in New Zealand waters."