Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 29th, 1920. NAVAL DEFENCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 September 1920, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 29th, 1920. NAVAL DEFENCE.

New Zealand must of necessity be much interested in Australian naval defence. The contemplated reductions on the Australian navy, together with the scrapping of obsolete ships, will ap patently put the strength of the fleet back to 1912. This fact cannot escape notice in New Zealand for a fi our brothers across the seas, the Australian navy in being was a support and a guard to ouv waters. Australia has made a definite move, and the reduction will be a radical one. It is not given out why it should be so sweeping —for even the flagship has been declared obsolete, and is to go, as a factor in the Navy. A Sydney paper says that a prime consideration both in the Royal Navy, and in the Australian fleet is the rising cost of oil fuel. Coal also is rising seriously, but the oil position is worse, and likely to be worse still. Ships in the Royal Navy, therefore, are being considered for sentence into *•••". divisions—oilburning and coal-burning. The fact that they do burn coal instead of oil is probably prolonging the lives of light ••'srrs whore equally ancient fuolliurning destroyers have already been scrapped. It is unlikely for instance that the Australian light cruisers, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide (completing) will be deemed obsolete yet. They are of the improved “Town” class of 1911. The latest light cruisers in the Royal Navy are several classes in advance of them, and in that sense they are absolescent; nevertheless their counterparts in the Royal Navy are still in commission on foreign stations for they have the redeeming, merit of being coal burners. The Birmingham and the Lowestoft are on the Africa. (Cape) station, the Chatham has just been presented to New Zealand, and the Dartmouth, Southamnton, Yarmouth and "Weymouth are on the South American station. There remains the flagship, Australia. She is of the 1910 class of battle cruisers, of which the Invincible and Indefatigable were lost during the war, and of which the Indomitable and the Inflexible have recently been broken up, and sold. Only the New Zealand remains on the active list with the Australia in this class, and it is reported that the New Zealand will not live much longer. That •. in leave the Australia not merely alone, in these waters, but alone in all the world. Her type has served its purpose and gone, and the navv’s pruning is ruthless in such cases. We must not wonder if the Australia too is soon doomed to be retired from .the active list; the cost of her upkeep is .heavy and in an efficient service out-of-date ships serve little purpose. 'Die Australia is far outclassed by the latest Japanese ships—was, indeed beaten bv the Japanese (13-inch gun) Kongo almost at the moment the Australia first appeared in the Pacific. Yet she is useful to some extent still for training She is the only turret ship in the Australian fleet and for turret drill and submerged torpedo drill for Australian seamen she would still have a useful part to play. But as regards her life ns a {milting ship on the active list and as a flagship for a sea-going fleet, the facts sneak for themselves, There is no squadron left ini which she can ever serve again as an efficient unit This would mean that the Australian service fleet would consist of three ■ oldish light cruisers (later four), six | modern destroyers, four submarines, and the strength of this fleet would not be greatly superior to the strength of the British naval force on the South American station. We should be bnes to the conditions of 1912, when there was no British capital shin in the Pacific. That has, indeed, been so really for some time, but the* actual passing of the Australia would accentuate the fact. The Commonwealth has had good value from the local fleet, and above all , from the flagship. She saved our const- I al cities and our coastal trade from raids ;

i by tlio German Pacific Fleet m 1914 | an insurance well worth the money we j spent on her. Her life has been a ! great example to the country of the J value of naval expenditure. In the i immediate future it looks as if we shall • have to keep this example steadfastly before our eyes. Perhaps Great Britain is building on her treaty with j Japan and her friendly relations with [ the United States, to safeguard her , interests in the Pacific in the event of another maritme ernbroglio. No doubt economy as a means to liquidate the debt caused by the late war, has something to do with tile situation also i likewise, there is the fact that if another naval war should overtake us. it will be fought on different lines to any ' upheaval which has gone before. The development of the submarine ami hydroplane will be a. tremendous factor in travel strategy for the future. The under winter craft andi the oversea plane will he too new instruments of destruction for which dreadnoughts and their kin would he splendid targets. A war in the Pacific would also be a different, contest than in the confined waters of Kttorpe adjacent to coasts teeming with population nnd traffic- trt

the broad waters of this hemisphere. ( different tactics would naturally pre-,j vail, and the two latest arms of naval defence would on the face of it be the most effective. The naval defence even of the immediate future is too difficult i a question to solve offhand. The task I is one for experts.

Some sections of organised workers in Australia, remarks the Dominion, are taking the course best calculated to bring about worse conditions of depression and unemployment than the Commonwealth has yet experienced in 'ts history. Statistical evidence is before them that the total value of production in the Commonwealth is less than twenty per cent, than it was in 1913 and general conditions of comfort and welfare cannot, of course, be improved until this leeway lias been overtaken. Instead, however, of adopting rational measures to this end, big sections of organised Labour are insisting upon a reduction of hours which if secured is hound to result in n. further decline of production and prosperity. The Amalgamated Society of Engineers is now contributing to the chorus with a- demand for “a forty-hour week and increased wages.” It has been pointed out by the Labour Premier of Now South Wales (Mr Storey) that the whole of the wealth produced in that State from farms, stations, mines, factories and improvements (buildings, public works, etc.) docs not exceed £200,000.000 a. year—a total which, divided amongst the wage-earners of the State (say 800,000) would not give each on the average more than £5 a week; and this does not allow Anything for interest on capital. Workers intent on securing more pay for less work are able, it seems to ignore such facts, but the penalty invited by ignoring them is none the less certain on that account.

It will he seen by the telegraphic news to-day that the Prime Minister has thrown down the gauntlet to the State miners responsible for the “irritation” strikes. This action will he approved very generally, and Mr Massey is to he complimented accordingly. As he said in the House yesterday “the line must be drawn somewhere,” and there is no doubt the country has pnt up far too long with the coal shortage. It is a question of who is to rule, and the time has arrived surely, after the late experiences, when strikes and lockouts should he treated as conspiracies and crimes against the community. There is admirable machinery for investigating all grievances if the malcontents care to use the tribunals, and the history of conciliation a,nd arbitration show that labor conditions hare gained tremendously as a result of legitimate appeals through those channels. If law and order are to be respected, those metli ods of deciding industrial disputes must be continued or there will he class rule if not oliaos. The Government lias elected to take a certain course, and it is for all law-abiding citizens to" support the action. What may he ahead as a result of the firm steps taken, remains to be seen. It may be that we are face to face with the big industrial upheaval which has for so long palled the country and hitherto stifled Government action. If so the people as a whole must accept the position and make the best of it. There can be but one outcome if the Government remains firm and the people support them and that will be he vindication of law and order, and the establishment of industrial peace, which will ensure reasonable production and national pro gress along sober lines. If this achievement, comes to pass it is not too much to expect a material reduction in the general cost of living, for with stability in industry and regular supplies, the uncertainty will disanpcar and the improved confidence established will create better trading con ditions all round, all for the benefit of the people as a whole.