NAVAL CHANGES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1641, 7 January 1913, Page 5

NAVAL CHANGES.

« _ SYDNEY AS A BASE, THE COMMONWEALTH FLEET. Big changes in the naval life of Sydney and of tho Commonwealth generally will take place during tho Now Year, says the "Sydney Morning Herald" of December, 31. The coming year will witness, perhaps, tho most crucial stage in tho ambitious schemo of naval defence under tho direct control of tho Commonwealth. Tho-last .will be seen on Now Year's Day of ah Imperial ilngship doing duty in Sydney Harbour. H.M.S. Drake will, at J. 30 a.m., to-morrow, take her departure for England-under the command of Captain Bruen, and the Commonwealth first-class Dreadnought - x cruiser Australia will replace 'her as soon as possible. The Sydney station will not bo tiansferred by tho Admiralty to' the Commonwealth authorities till, July 1 next; but, in the meantime, a number of important preliminary changes will.bo made. Admiral Sir Georgo King-Hall will xoniain in charge of tho station till tho end of June, when his successor will assume control of what will be tho basis of a purely Australian fleet unit. Tho squadron then under the control of tho Commonwealth and patrolling these waters will be a stronger one than exists at the present time along tho Australian coast, and principally, of course, in Port Jackson. •■' Some misapprehension apparently exists as to Auckland replacing. Sydney a3 tho . Imperial base in tho Southern Pacific. As a matter, of fact, although such a change hasj been suggested, no determination has been arrived at by the Admiralty as to making Auckland a new base. It is expected in naval circles that if New. Zealand elects not to join with the Commonwealth in the matter of naval defenco, tho Dominion will have her own local fleet; but Sydney will continue to maintain its present-,status, and more, as> a naval' base. .'■•'■.'" ■ Commonwealth Shipbuilding.. -',- Matters will remain pretty well as they are'for.six months.- The Commonwealth. Government has 'decided to keep tho naval repair works going at Garden Island, and, in addition to that, the: Commonwealth will, by then, in all 'probability, have taken over from the State Government tho control of tho shipbuilding yards at Cockatoo ■ Island. This, means-.that tho naval activities so far as construction and repairing are concernod, will be-greater than ever in Sydney Harbour, which is bound to be'frequented almost continuously by-some of .the boats of the newfledged squadron. -Some 170 artificers and supervisors are regularly employed to-day at Garijen Island, and -when work is busy '700 worn men nre often 4 employed there, which'state of things will continue when the ialsrd passes from Imperial into Commonwealth hands., 1 ..- .• ' i ; . ■'■ '■'.' Captain Rollestou, officer in charge of Garden Island, who has been on the station four years, will leave early 'in- February, -next, and will be succeeded by Captain Charles F. Henderson. The latter will continue till the end of tho half-year under -'Admiralty-' jurisdiction, and will remain on as ono of the Commonwealth officers.-' , ' ■'-.-. ... ,v H.M.S. Drake is. leaving Sydney just now by special arrangement in order that thoA'dmiralty may be ablo to have acrew available for tho Dreadnought Australia; and so enable, her to act: as .flagship by the.timo the Commonwealth takes over the- control of naval matters in these waters',- . •,-' - ' . . -,-. , A Ship to be Proud Of. - Tho Australia will be a fighting ship that Australians may well feel proud of. She will be. one of the most efficient vessels of her sort afloat, and could blow a boat of the.typo<of H.M.S. Drake out of tho water, so far assizo and equipment go. • In addition to tho Dreadnought'cruiser Australia; tho Cqm'monwcalth'fleot will include the second-class cruisers Sydney and Melbourne, .which nro of the same size as 11.M.5. Encounter, but far'in advance bf her ns far as speed and • efficiency are concerned. Until the. third • Australian second-class'cruiser Brisbane is -built the Commonwealth will have tho uso of H.MiSi, Encounter, which has been generously promised as a loan, by the Admiralty. In addition to these four cruisers, tho dostfOyers Parramatta, Yarrn, raid Wwv rego will form part of the fleet. Three . other destroyers of the same, typo'nro to boibuilt. Then there aro a number of submarines due to arrive from England. The whole will form tho -nucleus of tho Australian fleet, of the future. By July the Australian station- will be complete, with the exception', of. tho' destroyer see-' Hon. - HiM.S.,Pioneer has booh : presented to ,the Commonwealth, nnd she williba usodos a gunner tender at, Willianistowri. . v : Plenty of Recruits. ■..":{' A phase.of ,the latest naval enterprise of the Commonwealth, most encouraging is tho fact that-the recruits 'offering are. ranch"in excess of those wanted, and:tho fear that lAustralian'youth would not display the samo dash of tho Vikings in, "their .'veins as characterised their forefathers in the British Isles has boon amply disproved. The well-known love of the Australians for,.tho water,': whether- as yachtsmen,.' oarsmen; or ' swimmers,, has now an outlet leading to higher and nobler things in-the service of tho country. ■ H.M.S. Drake, tho departing flagship,' will have a crew of about 700 all told, including .some■:■; 15tL-Australian seamen, drawn from tho Encounter, Pnrramatta, and .Yarrn,. and from the Williamstown depot; Her timo of departure to-morrow is too early for anything in the nature of a popular - demonstration,' but tho event will be fittingly signalised in tho harbour. The Imperial flagship.leaves.to make.wav for one distinctly Australian, but ono still flying, the old flagi and equally, bent on upholding the prestige:of the Empire.