The Dominion. SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 1013. THE VISIT OF THE WARSHIP.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1722, 12 April 1913, Page 6

The Dominion.

SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 1013.

THE VISIT OF THE WARSHIP.

o The arrival of the battle-cruise New Zealand in our waters marks very important point in tho dove! opment oi Imperial policy. It is th business of tho New Zealand pcopk and it will be their pleasure, to giv to this fine vessel and her gallant oi fleers and men a wulcomo withou any reservations. There has neve in the past been wanting that prid in the vessels of the old AustralasiaSquadron which New Zealander felt in them a3 boing the vessels o his Majesty. The magnificent cruise which conies to visit us to-day is however, different from all the ot-he British ships of war which hav anchored in our waters. She syir bolises the fact that New Zealam has begun, or is beginning, to take real part in the business of defend ing the Empire's interests on th waters of tho world. Nobody wh is capable of taking a reasonabl; long view will look at the "Nci Zealand" without feeling that, fin ship as sho is, she is the finer fo being a herald and a forerunner—; herald of the clay when the dor mant naval sense of this countr; will awaken, a forerunner of a grea New Zealand wing of a great Pacifi fleet. Even those who, like our selves, thought and still think tha New Zealand _ could have struck i blojv for -Empire in 1909 better, per haps, than by offering a warship ti Britain, have always recognised tha the offer did assist 1 the Imperia cause, even if it did not assist in tin best of all ways, namely, by makinj our country really feel the burder of a naval duty. Theso are matters however, which need not be discuss cd now. What is most important next to the duty of making obeisance to this fine warship as one oi the great guardians of the Empire, is that the nation should reflect thai the "New Zealand" must be considered as a first suggestion of what we must do as a people for the preservation of tho Empire with the death of,which wo as a nation must die. Britain builds three or foui such vessels every year as part oi her ordinary work: that is the fact which we would have the visitors tc the "New. Zealand" reflect upon. Costly and splendid as she is, she is but one of many such vessels built by the people of tho Homeland. Her magnificence and power will, and should, make New Zealand realise, with gratitude and humility, the unselfish, faithful, and self-sacrific-ing conception of Empire which is cherished By Great Britain, and which is safe there even in these days of unbelief and dissolution. If the officers and men have not felt quite as happy as Jfchey might have felt at some of the stages of their journey to our shores, they can feel assured that all New Zealand wishes to give them a hearty "welcome homo." . But we misread New Zealand opinion if the warmth of feeling for the ship and her men is not at bottom due less to a proprietary fondness than to the old devotion to. the Mother Country which keeps watch and ward over tho waters that we may sleep sound and fulfil our destiny as a free- n!nd happy country. It is to be hoped that everybody will remember, throughout the stay of >the "New Zealand" in New Zealand waters, that nothing ' must be allowed to modify the rendering of honour to our visitors. That they will enjoy their visit is a wish which can be joined to the wish that the visit will stimulate the sober and earnest . Imperialism of our own people.