THE N.Z. BATTLESHIP.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1652, 20 January 1913, Page 6

THE N.Z. BATTLESHIP.

Although New Zealand will bo very pleased to see in her ports the battleship which she, presented to tho Kino, yet it is just possible that that is a pleasure \yhioh it might be wiso to forego for a while. Nothing is more plain than.that the international situation just now is not one in which battleships can be' sent on lohff ceremonial cfuises. Tho great Powers are at tpe present time ready, or. hastily getting ready, for a nation is seldorrij wholly prepared, against possible hostilities. -So far as England is -concerned, the Navy is fully recognised ; to; be more important than the Army, and anyone who has followed, at all. closely, current events throughout • the . last twelve months, cannot blink the fact that England has,been preparing her Navy as if for war. when some four years ago Sik Joseph Ward (then Prime' Minister) cabled to.the British Government and offered New Zealand's gift of a battleship, tho gift implied that the British, Navy waS not •, as powerful aa it Bhould, have been, and that- national affairs werei in such a state that it was impol - ativo that the Navy should be strengthened. : New Zealand's gift was : accepted, and the armoured-cruiscr New Zealand is the immediate rosult._ Having been launched, the British Government recognised that tho Now Zealand public would naturally like ; to see in their own waters the result of their donation to tho King, and accordingly. H.M.S. New Zealand is to visit what might be called her fatherland. A comparison of international politics at-the; time the gift was offered with the politics at the present time results in a conclusion that tho unrest being much widespread is infinitely greater now • than, it !' was then. This being the case there can bo no question as to whero the ship should be, and. tho New Zealand public would be greatly perturbed if in the case of war H.MiS. New Zcaland was out in the cold—or, ir.orc precisely, lying anchored in Wel'lingtbn Harbour. -At the present time - H.MiS. New Zealand should undoubtedly be • where, the Lords of .the' Admiralty are of* opinion she will best serve her country and her purpose in case of war, and we cannot imagine that place to bb in New Zealand waters. Later, when tho war fever has abated, or, if tho worst is to come, when a war has been waged, we will give H.M.S. New Zealand a royal'welcome, certainly not lessened'by any delay in her coming now by the . fact that she and her gallant crew, may have been called bn to do battle for England;