WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 August 1922, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

NAVAL DEFENCE. SHIPS AND AIR CRAFT. BPEOTAU TO GUAKDIAN.

WELLINGTON, Aug. 19. 11l the House on Friday night the Prime Minister initiated a discussion on naval defence by quoting certain portions of a communication he had received from tiie Admiralty setting out the naval policy by which New Zealand eoujd best .serve the interests of the Empire. The policy was a fairly comprehensive one. It included the maintenancy, of the„ mnjpus of a sea : gping squadron during tlie period of financial stringency which could be rapidly expanded into a fleet of light cruisers and ocean-going submarines when the times improved ; assistance to the Empire in equipping'naval bases either by financial contributions or by tlie supply of material, and the provision of bases,

docks, depots and reserves of stores and'fuel for vessels maintained by New Zealand. These suggestions, Mr Mas-1 sey explained, embodied' the opinion of the men !>est qualified to judge as to the needs of tlie situation. All that was required could not be done at once, but the recommendations of the Admiralty indicated the goal the Dominion should keep in view, if it were going to do,its duty, ill the matter of defence it, should lean on tlie Mother Country I ho longer. l.Mt’R FISSION'S. I

Neither the leader of the Liberal Opposition nor the leader of the Labour Party seemed to tie fully prepared for tlie discussion of the policy forthwith. Mj- Wilfofd, however, after talking generalities pointed out that the Washington Conference bad placed no limitation on tlid'epiplbymdnt of air craft in war and th'sit the rapid development of deadly machines of destruction overhead mjght largely minimise the value of navies. It was a subject, needing very sjraYe consideration. Mr Holland, wild appeared to lie more sanguine than did most of the other speakers of the , decrees of the Washington Conference being made feffcctive, regretted that both aircraft and submarines had not been prohibited. .The, next war, he

said, would,,see the merciless externunn!mn,of civilised communities by death in tlie most horrible forms ruined upon them' from the air. The Minister of Education, the lion ('. J. Parr, carried the discussion hack to stereotyped lines, urging the creation of a powerlul Pacific fleet,, largely maintained by Cepadn, Australia, and New Zealand. Most of the members of the House preferred to defer their remarks on the subject till the debate on the Bridget, but there was no indication that the idea of a local fleet bad evoked any great enthusiasm.. THE LORDS’ VIEW.

Earlier in the day the members ol the Legislative Council discussed the subject from a somew hat different angle on the motion for the second reading of 1 lie Naval Defence Amendment Bill. The majority of the speakers, without .shedding any fresh light on (lie matter, emphasised the dutyy of New Zealand tq, beay a larger share of the burden of naval defence, not only by contributing more money, hut’also by training more inch for the service. Many releroncos were made to the national traditions, aiid to the Dominion's duty to the Empire, but scarcely a word was said

afiiuit, tlie lessons of the great war. Sir Thomas MaeKouzie provided the exception among |iis follow; members ir. this respect. He doubled, whether tlie nioiiey spent oil a local navy could not be better employed by tile Imperial authorities in the protection of the whole Empire. As for New Zealand’s ojvm pi'oteptiop it had been shown m the English Channel that aircraft was a very efficient defence against naval attack and it was along these lines thiit the Dominion's local efforts should pfVieecil. Sir Thomas quoted high an- ' tliurities in .support of bis contention, but tiie majority of the lords were for

th« local navy and tlie training of seamen. _

popular .interest; j Few questions that have been raised | iii Parliament during the present sesj sion have attracted greater attention ( than lias this one of sea defence. DurI iug the week-end business men and l other observant people have been quot-. j ihg' their newspaper arid magazine leading on the subject to one another and discussing the respective merits and limitations of warships and aircraft with the keenest interest. They have not professed, of course, to bo fully informed on'tlie question, nor to he in any way qualified to pronounce a final conclusion, but it is fairly evident that a large majority of them woiild prefer an efficient air defence’ to any .navy of the. Chatham-Philomel type,

which probably Will' be the best New Zealand cai(’afford for many'years to come. They are practically unanimous in condemning the, lop-sided policy of providing only £B,OOO or £9,000 a year for air defence and spending nearly half a million on a toy navy. It seems likely ibis subject will figure largely in the debate on the Budget which begins to-morrow and it is even possible the Government may be induced to revise its estimates.