SHIP FOR SHIP.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 March 1921, Page 3

SHIP FOR SHIP.

LOUD JELLICOE ON NAVAL PROGRAMMES. A SIGNIFICANT HINT. CHRISTCHURCH, March 5. "If we see another nation building lig capital ships battleships or battlemisers,” said Lord Jellieoc last night, I think it will occur to you that it is iffieult to combat it menace* of that iit unless you have vessels of the same lass to tackle it with.” Lord Jellicoe’s declaration wax revived with hearty applause. It was the tost significant passage in an interosttg speech delivered to members of the lav.v Longue at their “At Home.” ord .Jellicoe’s text was the importance I keeping sea communications. In dola ring himself in favour of a policy f ship for ship be* admitted that he as starting to trespass on dangerous round, but he said that the one thing •rtain was that the sea eomniunioaons of the Empire must be secured in race and in war. NAVAL DEFENCE. Lord Jellicoe said that he was placed rather a difficult position because it ns not quite proper for the Governoreneral of the Dominion to express ews on matters which were under the , msideration of the Government. One flic* subjects under consideration by e New Zealand Government and also • the Home Government.— a subject , at would shortly come before the Im■rial Conference—was that of the naval length of the British Empire. There- j re* the one subject about which lie , d know something was almost barred him. “I do not think anyone in c Empire* can say too much for the irk that the navy as a whole careel out during the late war,” his ExIlency added. “There is no doubt i.it most of flic people in the Empire alise that the war could not have been mi without the British Army, hut the rmy could not have done the work doss the Navy had been there to look ter their communications. The final iumph came to the army, quite rightThe Army saw most of the fighting, , *t"fne Army—and the whole* Empire—mid have been helpless had not its t a communications been defended to e best of its a bilitv hv the British ci nv.v. THE DANGER OF IGNORANCE. * “In the- early part of the war when | e had not to combat tlu* submarines,” is Excellency continued, “the sea mini union lions were rapidly made scire. It was quite different when the ei-mans turned their whole attention i unrestricted submarine warfare. It I ippcncd that during the period when r ie weekly sinkings were the worst, 1 f nd the responsibility of holding the I ositiou of First Sea' Lord and J cer»inly recognised the extreme gravity r f the position. There were others, * itli the banner of ignorance, who re T ised to believe luiw serious was the tnation, but to those who realised the f nportance of the navy in the early ' iys of unrestricted submarine warfare, nd how impossible it was to produce p iimter-mecisiirAs in time—as it seemed 1 -to save the sinkings and to keep up ie sea communications the full gravv of the situation was apparent. iIGHT AS WELL SHUT UP SHOP. ‘All I hope is that the Empire will j * •alisp in future that unless its sea * unmiinications arc secure in war they I light as well shut up shop in the Bri- ( sii Empire. The Navy League of the * iritish Empire have to endeavour to • ct into the heads of young people that it* whole safety of the Empire lies upon ,s sea communications. It is quite upossible for the Empire to exist \ i ' ut that safety.