H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1689, 4 March 1913, Page 5

H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND.

——* " , OFFICERS AND MEN ENTERTAINED. By Telejraph—Presa Association-Copyright Capo Town! March 2. The Turf Club at Kenilworth entertained the New Zealand's officers, Trho afterwards dined with tho Governor-Gen-eral (Lord Gladstone). There was a largo attendance at tho sports arranged for the crow at tho Green Point ground. Tho Mayor entertained the men at a smoke concert. ENTERTAINMENT OF THE CREW., 'By Tolesranb.—Press Association.) - ' Christchurch, March 3. At a meeting of tho committee of tho Canterbury branch of tho Navy. League arrangements for the entertainment of tho men and officers of H.M.S. New Zealand, expected hero about April 12, were discussed, and it was decided to wait on tho Mayor,-on Wednesday and' place thoir views beforo him, tho idea being, that tho league should eo-operato with tho citizens. it is proposed to take tho men for railway excursions to Little River and Rongiora, and entertain them at a sinoko concert in town and hold a big .public, function -either. on tho Metropolitan' IVoc-*' r? •*. course, or tho show grounds, it was decided to ask the Government to run special trains to convey! children ?f V°'"th Canterbury to Lyttclton at nominal fares and to provide sea transport from Lyttelton Wharf to tho warship. It was proposed to entertain the officers at a ball. -

i £ t ? lmos Jonu ary 24, referring to the then pending departure of the gift battleship for her Empire cruise, wrote thus with respect to "Tho Battle-cruiser and her History is lioimd up in tho story of how tlio battle-cruiser New Zealand came to bo provided atx important chapter in tho rjstory of tlio Empire. Tho iirst capital slup built and offered to the Imperial Wavy by a self-governing Dominion, slio is an emblem and embodiment of that spontaneous and simultaneous movement ot tho Oversea Dominions towards effective participation in tho work of Imperial defence which has grown so rapidly of late years. • ! It was on March IG, 1909, that Mr. M Kenna, then First Lord of tho Admiralty, made tho speech in tho Houso of Commons, on tlio introduction of tho £>avy Intimitis for 1909-10, which caused reelings of uneasiness and alarm throughout the Empire. Less than a week later, cn March 22, 3909, tlio New Zealand Government decided to defray the cost of the immediate building and arming of an armoured ship of the latest type, and also, if subsequent ovents showed tho necessity of such action, to provido tlio cost ot a second vesssl of similar type. The oiler, sent by cablegram through tho Governor to the Secretary of State, was accepted by tho Imperial Government two days later in fitting terms of appreciation, but it was added that "his Majcstv's" Government desiro to consult with the Aew Zealand Government as to tho time when it may become appropriate to give efiect to their public-spirited proposal." Accordingly, and in view of the subsequent oftpr of a similar vessel by the Australian Government and of the passing of ft resolution in Canadu recognising the duty of the latter Dominion "to tl . s , s . u .i?? )n a 'a r B-r measure tho responsibilities of national defence" and approving of necessary expenditure oil tho speedy organisation ot a Canadian naval service, a conference to discuss tho general question of tho defence of the Empire was held ill London in Julv and >. August, im It was decided fit tfiis Imferial Defence Conference that, the vessels offered by New Zealand and Australia should be of tho battle-cruiser type, and that these vessels should when completed lw maintained ns flagships respectively of tho China and Australian squadions of a remodelled Pacific Fleet. The Now Zealand was laid down at the yard of tho Fairfield Shipbuilding Company, Govan, on Juno 20, 1910, and a littlo over 12 months later, on July 1, mi], was launched by Lady Ward, in tho presence of bir Joseph Ward, Premier of Now Zealand, who had taken an active part in making tho offer, and who was at the tirao of tho launch in Great Britain for the Imperial Conference. An important departure from tho plans' approved in 1909 was made .on Hay 20, 1912, when it was officially announced that, in response to Admiralty 'inquiries and suggestions, the Government-of New Zealand had ixpiossod their wish that the New Zealand should bo employed wherever her services could bo most useful. It was added that tho Imperial Government had gratefully accepted this intimation, and that the cruiser, after visiting the Dominion of New Zealand, would bo retained for service in home waters- as a unit of tho First Craiser Squadron in tho First Fleet. Tho design of the New Zealand is in irt-iieral ixu'tionlars similar to that of tho Invincible class, with improvements rendered possible by tho later date of her ccnstruction. Her displacement is 18,800 tons, her turbine engines of 41,000 horsepower give her a designed speed of 2") trots, and she curried an armament of eight 12in. and IS lin. gims. After satisfactory trials, she was joined by a navigating party at the builders' yard on November 1!) and placed in commission, being completed to full crew on arriving at Uevonport four days later.