SEA-POWER ESSENTIAL.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 20, 8 February 1937, Page 6

SEA-POWER ESSENTIAL.

Concluding an address qn Sea-Power tbat is represented by sbips, men and harbours, Sir Samuel Hoare said: Let us use tbese instruments in tbe old words of tbe prayer for tbose at sea 'to give a security ior sucb as pass on tbe seas upon tbeir lawful occasions. ' Let us use them in tbe cause of peace. And in using tbem let us remember the lesson of history. Let us remember tbat in making ourselves secure we bave never made the world insecure. It was sea-power tbat created tbe Britisb Empire and it was sea-power tbat, in creating tbe Britisb Ernpire, established tbe greatest area of internal peace tbat tbe world bas ever seen. If sea-power, so romantically described four cenfuries ago by Sir Nicbolas Throckmorton as 'Tbe Flower of England's Garland,' were torn from our brow, the Empire would crasb as tbe Temple crasbed after Samson bad been shorn of bis locks. Yes, but mucb more tban tbe temple of tbe Britisb Empire would break up in dust and ruin. For wbo can doubt tbat tbe disruption of a system tbat maintains peace and order over a quarter of tbe world's surface would not mean a griin and terrible period of cbaos tbrougbout the entire universe? It is tbese great issues tbat make me insist tbat sea-power is tbe very foundation of our Imperial structure. Though tbe details vary, tbe fundamentals remain tbe same. Our Commonwealth bere and overs'eas depends for its life upon the bigbways of tbe ocean. It bas been along tbese higbways tbat we bave won our position in tbe world. It is by tbese bigbways tbat we must bold it."