The Australian Navy

Horowhenua Chronicle, 28 October 1913, Page 4

The Australian Navy

DISCIPLINE AND OTHEK - u I'ItOBLEMS. t: The Australian navy has been f with us for a week. The pie- { \ dominant note (says the Sun) in \ : the harbour is still the grey om- ] jiious bulk of the Australia, with ( , her smaller fighting ships about y her, and the impression of terri- ~ ble strength that one takes from j her appearance is still as keen as ( on the day she came slowly thro- s ugh the Heads. No matter how ( well one knows a ship she always « seems to have a distinct, living ( personality of her own, but the g blood of the ship are the men who ; live within her. Has the Aus- i t nil in the blood that will become ' tired with enthusiasm and wake i her up to the fullest lifer' _ 1 Some things have been said by : both officers and men ashore which makes one think that there ore many troublesome personal problems which the fleet will have to work out before it _is smooth-running and able to give in a moment the fullest effect to its energies. A full-grown tree dug up and transplanted to another soil and climate "goes through a period before striking root again, and for a time the leaves are wilted and listless. The Australian navy is a huge transplanted growth- an English growth that has not yet had time to adapt itself to its new Australian home. H has not yet bocome part of our national being. Captain Glossop, of the Sydney, speaking at a function in the Town Hall, said: "I can assure you that there is no difference between the Australian navy and the Imperial navy—none whatever. Precisely the same routine is followed on the Australian ships as on those at Homo. The assurance is a comforting one but only in so far as it is a guarantee that the tree we have received is true to the name that it is the best tree on the market. But one is forced to think that it must grow in Australian soil in its own way, and that to try to preserve the English customs ~and methods without modification —even drastic modification- - would be a mistake. The Australian sailor will beas different from the English sailor as the Australian labourer is from the immigrant. One does not say that he will be better or worse, but this is certain that he will not conform tothe strict discipline of the English sailor. He will not obey blindly. He will have opinions of his own and how the work should he done, and he will waul to do it in his own way He will be a critic of eveJ'.v move of his officer, and if there • is a fault he will sec it and talk about it and grumble. .) But most of all he will hate (he \ inequality of the English navy. He will not accept the difference in class which exists between the, English sailor and the officer. He will loathe io touch his cap to .a man for whose judgment he has no respect, yet the English sailor would find it natural to touch his forehead to the officer if neither had never gone to sea. but had stayed in his native village as a peasant and'"'one of the gentry." To realise the Australian point of view one should hear a shearer call his employer "Boss" and ask him for a match, or see a squatter . sit on (he top mil of a fence with • one of his men -whom he -will call /'Bill" and ask him his opinion alTout branding. That human equality will assert itself in the Australian navy. The problem will be solved gradually, and in a way which will preserve the efficiency of the - i ships, but those in command will be called upon for the use of endless tact.