AERIAL DEFENCE

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 125, 24 February 1928, Page 10

AERIAL DEFENCE

THE HOBSONVILLE BASE DEVELOPMENT OF SCHEME EARLY MOVE LIKELY Statements made by the" Minister of Defence to a deputation from the Navy League Confer, ence yesterday foreshadow an early development ci the Hobsonville aerodrome at Auckland. “We feel that an essential part of the defence of this country is a naval air service,” said the president of the conference (Sir Alexander Roberts). “Our present Air Force is purely a land force, as was illustrated during the recent search for the missing fliers. If we had had a naval service a much wider search could have been made. It is a necessary adjunct to our cruisers —a naval air service is the eyes of the fleet.” Dealing with the supply to cruisers of seaplanes and complementary appliances, Sir Alexander Roberts said the question was rather a technical one, and had been brought forward with a view to having it inquired into. The Hobsonville Base. In reply, the Minister of Defence (Hon. F. J. Rolleston) stated that the question of equipping cruisers with seaplanes and complementary appliances had been raised previously, and the latest information he had was that the matter was still in the experimental stage. The Admiralty at Home had not yet launched a definite scheme. Referring to the Hobsonville aerodrome at Auckland, the Minister stated that it would serve as a base for both seaplanes and aeroplanes. The reason that the aerodrome had not been developed was that the Government was awaiting the return of Captain Tsitt, whom the Defence Department had sent Home for the express purpose of making himself qualified to advise on the best method of developing the new base. Captain Isitt was due to arrive in New Zealand in the course of a few days, and the question of the establishment of the aerodrome and the provision for seaplanes would be gone into straight away. The base, the minister considered, was almost ideal for seaplanes. Care In Designing Scheme. The Prime Minister (Right Hon. J. G. Coates) touched briefly on air services, and the development of precautions in regard to defence. It would be a simple matter, he said, to throw thousands away through a policy that was not properly designed. Machines were undergoing changes every day, and Captain Isitt had had difficulty in making his choice, principally on account of the cost. After all, New Zealand was a comparatively small country, with only so much money to work with, and the scheme had to be very carefully designed and well thought out, so that when it was launched it could go ahead without a hitch.