NAVAL DEFENCE

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 148, 18 March 1939, Page 12

NAVAL DEFENCE

Criticism Of Present Provision REPORT RECALLED Recommendations Of Earl Jellicoe Criticism of the provision for naval defence in New Zealand was expressed yesterday by Mr. Endean, M.P., in a statement in which he compared the present provision with that of former years, and recalled the recommendations of Earl Jellicoe. Mr. Endean has had practical experience of the work of the Royal Navy, having served as a sub-lieutenant in the Dover Patrol of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve durng the Great War. In New Zealand he has always played a prominent part in discussion of naval matters. He is a keen yachtsman still and has been commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.

“It is interesting to review New Zealand’s attitude to naval defence during the past 30 years,” he said. “In 1909 the New Zealand Government, of which Sir Joseph Ward was Prime Minister, gave a capital ship, the battle-cruiser New Zealand, to the British Admiralty with a second to follow if required. The arrangement entered into with New Zealand in 1909 was that the battle-cruiser NewZealand should form the flagship or the fleet unit in the China Station, and that two second-class cruisers, three destroyers, and two submarines would be detached from that unit in peacetime to work normally in New Zealand waters. “This arrangement, because or the great growing increase of German naval strength in Home w-aters was not carried out. During the Great War the New’ Zealand served in the North (Sea, Italy and Japan being then Allies of Great Britain. Earl Jellicoe’s Recommendation.

“In 1919 Earl Jellicoe headed a naval mission to New’ Zealand, and his report is dated August-October, 1919. In that report he recommends the establishment of a naval base at Singapore and the contribution of New Zealand to the Empire’s naval forces in the Far East was fixed by him as follows: Three light cruisers, six submarines, one submarine parent-ship, a naval air school. Annual cost and maintenance estimated at £924,600. He also recommended New Zealand to establish harbour defence, eight old destroyers, or P boats, IS mine-sweepers of the trawler type, and four boom defence vessels.

“It must be remembered that in those days the Great War was over, and there was no Berlin-Rome-Tokio axis. In 1939, 20 years afterward, that axis unfortunately exists, and our contribution to naval defence is tw’o cruisers.

“It will be readily seen how far short this falls of Earl Jellicoe’s recommendations in view of the entirely different tactical situation that has developed. At present Great Britain is spending approximately £23/10/- a head of population on defence, Australia £4 a head, exclusive of the provision for the standing army of 10,000, and New Zealand £2 a head. From last year’s estimates it will be noted that New Zealand’s contribution to naval defence is £802,196. These facts and figures surely prove that New Zealand is suffering from what is best described as the cult of the ostrich