NEW SEA DANGER.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1809, 23 July 1913, Page 10

NEW SEA DANGER.

COMMERCE DESTROYERS. ! AUSTRALIAN LINERS TO BE ARMED. SHOULD INTERCOLONIAL STEAMERS CARRY GUNS? When Sydney comes to its work across tli3 harbour after this year, or visits Circular Quay 011 its holiday jaunts, it will see sticking over the sterns of the mail liners the noses of 4.7-inch) guns— so declares the Melbourne correspondent of tho Sydney "Sun." Looked at from a viewpoint embracing what foreign vessels carry in their holds, these shiny bits of steel, 110 adds, \yll be more a warning of Australia's danger than a security for Australia's commerce. It means almost a' return to the days of unlicensed warfare, when piracy and privateering were regarded quite as gentlemen's callings. The arming of British merchantmen, interesting particulars of which have reached tlie authorities in Australia, has been forced npon tho Admiralty becauso Germany declines to make a conversion of merchantmen 011 the high seas. Great Britain has been anxious to restrict naval warfare to registered and undisguised warships, but Germany has consistently refused to agree to this course. Hence the absence from tlie Declaration of London of any restriction from the carriage of arms by merchant ships, or upon the secrecy with which merchantmen are provided with gun fittings and ammunition.

Bluffing Neutral Coaling Stations. Sir Edward Grey told tho 1 Australian icpicscututives at the last liiiperial Conl'erenco that it was Germany's opposition that prevented the inclusion of a clause in the Declaration providing that nations should announce which of their ships wore armed or capable of being armed. The importance of the matter to Australia was also impressed upon our Australian delegates by tho British Minister. It does not require much exposition. Australia's isolation is almost the greatest factor iu her defence policy, but if merchantmen are to be secretly armed this isolation becomes much less marked. No European Power could get a navy to Australian waters in war time except by overcoming the enormous difficulty represented by coaling. Great Britain has chains of coaling stations round the world; but other naval Powers, such as Germany and Austria, ure without these very necessary adjuncts to a navy. Tlie result is that the navies, being unable to coal as belligerents at neutral ports in war time, would have to stay at home.. But their merchantmen would be allowed anywhere they chose to go. They could steam to Australia as peaceful traders, coaling at every port en route, and then setting up their guns as they got near our Australian trading fleets. They could even hide their arms whilst in port, bring them • out whilst on the high seas, converting and reconverting as it pleased tliein. There would be no one to refuse them coal anil stores, for they would look like ordinary mail liners or cargo tramps, as innocent as a police court drunkard after lie has signed the pledge. Australia's geographical position, therefore, enforces special precautions against injury to Australian trade by these irresponsible secret commerce destroyers of the other Powers.

It has always been difficult for tho Federal Government to obtain exact information as to what foreign steamers trading ,in Australia are armed. Mr. J. C. Watson, when Prime Minister, ordered Customs officers and defence officers to supply what information they could, and lie was tho first to propose to the Admiralty that the larger liners in tho AngloAustralian trado might ho so armed as to bo convertible easily into light crnissrs in the event of war. In 1911 it was known that all the German merchantmen with a speed ol' 18 knots or over carried gun mountings and ammunition, at least ono of these, the Kaiser Frederich der Grossc, being in tho Australian trade. Eight or nino of tho fast French liners were similarly equipped, and it was Iwlieved that guns aud warlike stores were reserved lor these vessels at convenient ports. Since then it has been ditilcult'for the civilian to obtain any exact knowledge as to the number or strength of armoured foreign merchantmen. Wo have had to be content practically with such information as the following statement from Mr. Fisher, at tho timo when he was Prime Minister, and Mr. Kelly was tin* most insistent advocatp, in the Housb of Representatives, of a vigorous naval policy:—"The Government has fairly full knowledge respecting the ships convertible into cruisers or arlned vessels for use in our Waters as ships of war, but the information is incomplete. The number of such ships is considerable; it is all too many. Wo arc aware of the danger and of our responsibility."

"They Must Not Presume Too Much." It is believed that the authorities are still without that complete information, but they have sufficient to •suggest that many foreign vessels can be converted intolight cruisers at a moment's notice. "There are many foreign trading ships carrying nil the necessary equipment of warships," said Mr. Fisher, "and we are determined that those who control trading ships of other nations ill these waters must not presume too much on our good nature." Mr. Fisher indicated, although ho did not specifically mention, that Australia could, by legislation, prohibit these secretly-armed merchantmen from engaging in Australian trade, but the Admiralty seems to have decided that tlio best reply to the foreign preparations is to arm British merchantmen. Tlio next naval war will not 1» restricted to the armourcliid warships of the opposing nations, but will extend into every sea in which peaceful merchantmen move,'leading to trading ship attacking trading ship,' and death duels, whenever the flags of the enemies meet.

The Admiralty schcmo provides for tho frank arming of all the principlo British liners. They are not to be used as armed cruisers or gnulpss destroyers. _ They are neither to attack nor to invite attack. They are only to defend themselves if they cannot run away fast enough. Including the I'. and 0., Orient, and Houldcr lines, with which, it is understood, arrangements are already definitely concluded, they are to carry one, two, or three 4.7-inch guns aft, and aft only. All their lights will bo runaway fights. They cannot hope to engage in a duel with even a midget destroyer. They a.re to use thqir shells, of which they will carry 100 rounds, in protecting themselves against the armed merchantmen or the more formidable warships of their foes. There will be no secrct about this armament. Unlike the arms with which tho merchantmen of other nations are equipped, they will bo permanently mounted in full view of ail observers. In accordance with British policy there will be an openly-declared typo of merchantship able to maintain with guns tho right to go about its business peaceably even i.i war time.