SHIFTING THE BASE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1469, 18 June 1912, Page 4

SHIFTING THE BASE.

TOR WARSHIPS

'■■:■. '.;''!.%S.'fjicgrapuV-Presi ■ AsMciati'oiii'fa;y. a ,;; N:': ;; ■..'.r>^3fi;ir^ l ' cl< ' !!ll£i '- ' captoiii'.'sVin#3!^?.;pK;afcnayalV l oSa'ijishineiit ill' Syd-! ;iiej;tavri«:ii?:in:'Aue!ilaiid this afternoon' ■fqm|Kotaru37.;alkv; i .: v ;,;it n K oliief ■K 1 !. t . l ;?A ili J.t''ic;south; in connection: with ';»% '. ■.„■,, >-.« ■. .-

>:,*,Capl-i»iiv-Rollc.sloii''itiitpd tv-ii.'"Heral<rV ..representative'(hat; the separation of Iho i=t|uadvpn S ; : ;:'ass.fav5.fav : "a s New Zealand and' would lake place '■■ r „.' ' l \\"- xt .- Vl>a,v :°» that data Iho ■Uinmonwea! i, Government will lake over :• in" Sydney,from * ~*&? - a ty,^nd will bo tho '■ ?-n ,]^ 0 : for a portion" " : '; tl ' c f C ' ,, "?-? ht l ua jli'?'V-which wil! conMsUof two jsoconu-class- criii Mrs .-^throe destroyer?, and 'two; submarine*.' ■■'-. Tbo : -6(jUiUlron;-. iiOH-cver, : will. l w under ■■■ tho : si|premo,command oi; the ~tl!ie! on-the China statiou..:. ■■ ,;_".[, ain hcro,'' : ',«fli(l CapL.n RollosW ' . io ariange lor slpriuj in conusclion with"-■»-1 w ;. Zc ; lli,11 . !l ' .will,.be tlm'hendriuai-lcrs, and thnr C will ;pi-oi;abiy be' a storehouse" established «n ; illio.-Vdiii'-raity reserve,'near tho Calliopo. JJock, !m-,'.'naval mid victunlliiiu stoivi.".':' ..■linmumd'oii will probably be skied in hie Defence Department's' property, n«ar'.' Head. A consichralik stock of- ■ coal,-'probably about 3000 tons, will l>o stored;, at. Auckland, and also a-small, quantity, of-oil fuel and petrol. - Sul>; baje.j for fuel onlv wil! probably be estab-"'. nshed atiWtllingten. Lyttcllon; and Dun/ ediu. ';■"; ~..-:

;.;■■ Captain Rollpston explained that he' ha prepared reports siiffgcsting- sites in '"the three s-jutneni' centre*, ■ and would ol:-o preparo reports on the suggested siks in Aiickltiiiji. ihe veporls would, of course, have to be submitted .to the Admiraltv ■ i T','! s approved. He paintcd..out that tho Admiraltv wevo ab-eady' nayniß a, subsidy ,io tlio." Auckland Hnr■bour Board for the right to iiso (he reserve at tne Calliopo D-oelc. The fact that a. iiavi:, squatlrnii is to be quartered in j\ow Zealand is likely to i»ivo a fillip to tho oil inmistry in (he Dominion, as a quantity of oil fucUs used on eevoral of .tiie.vos-sls of (ho squadron. . vC'aptnin Rollcsloii said that tho Admiralty were very anxious to get a euarantcasupply of oil fuel and petrol in Xe*- Zea-' land. He had mack inquiries with this': object in view, but a sufficient supply could not be guaranteed at present Vs-. soon, however as Xew Zealand is a bio W Ruainntfu sufficient supplies, the Admir. f."*; ''''I' '>? regular purchasers, provided that the price is reasonable. In the mean- ■ time, oil would hava to bs imswrbd lo i meet requirements, l'rom iuouiries which"; lie had mads, he thought it possible tint.' in (he near future the Dominion would be able to guarantee a full ■ supply of oil. lor Admiralty mrrposes. He stated (hat the cruisers each bum 300 tons of oil fuel per year, while'sooo gallons of petrol each ' per year was consumed by the submarines. ■ .-■ ..;.

Co!oiwV Johnston, Director of Artillery in New Zealand, will arrive from Wellinjf. ton-' to-morrow morning by Hip Main .trunk express. In company with Captain Jiolleston, he will visit'the proposed site I'ov the amnninition stores at North Rend. Captain Bollestcn. will return to Sydney lies': Monday. > ■