NAVAL POLICY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 42, 13 November 1920, Page 10

NAVAL POLICY

♦ .' . ADMIRAL JELLICOE'S RECOMMENDA- !; r- HONS . ORGANISATION AND. RECRUITING. ' Among papors presented to Parliament in the last liours of thp session was a ! ' ' gummaiT' of n cablegram received "by tlie Government nearly twelve months ago from Admiral' of the Fleet Viscount i .Jellicoe with, reference to • tlio naval dc--5 'fence of New Zealand. The cablegram 'recommended that tho' Government: of I ■ 'New Zealand should take the following •; ' action:— i - (1) Establish Navy Board, Administration, including, the appointment of . • a commodore as Chief of the Naval i Staff. (2) Organiso and commence recrnit- : ing. , (3) Tit out and commission the ', :• Philomel as a training slrip. (4) Acquire from tlio Admiralty a ' coal-burning light cruiser, taring n main, armament comprising -six-inch !■ ; guns only. The Admiral added that if suitable ves T 1 sols; could be obtained, ho considered' that i tho'.gonoral scheme for'tlie development '. . of the New Zealand Division of tho Royal Navy could be.carried out on lines shown , in a table forwarded to tho Governor- . General: This table assumes that tho : ~ ■ sbip3 of the New Zealand Division, with i reserves of ammunition and stores, aro initially a'gift from tho British Govern- : ' ment. The division would consist at first of one light cruiser, six submarines, a parent ship, and oiglit destroyers, with . attached aircraft and a training - ship. Two other light cruisers would be added . daring the next five years. The naval charges- wonld.be J&39.8C0 in the^ first vear and would have risen to ,£1,051,450 : in tho sixth year. '