SEA POWER.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 June 1924, Page 4

SEA POWER.

COXTRI IU'TIXG FACTORS. <.Hv I' 1 . .1. Hall, 8.A., 11.5 c.) From time immemorial tlie linger of Destiny hail marked England out for maritime supremacy over the Atlantic, ino contributing factors arc summarised hero, for although they are milestones liritnin lots long passed, we in our generation will again see them and again pass them, unless by some tragic mishap we miss our path. First, like Australia, Britain's geographical position, right athwart the old trade routes, made her the natural gatekeeper of the Northern Ocean. Further, she was blessed with outstanding economic advantages, for, within her coast, she not only had the inii't highly skilled artificers in the world, but also the host and most con-veniently-situated coal and iron deposits then discovered on earth. Thus, geographically and economically she was ideally situated to make the best use oi the raw materials of the world, and. ii' she eared, to deny them to rivals.

Further, those factors impelled her to build a vast mercantile organisation, which, even in the seventeenth century, was a marvellous business instrument. The natural corollary of tnis was ships of war to protect the trade-ships from corsairs and privateer.-. Thus the navy and the mercantile marine grew side by side, each ministered to the needs of the other, each was the complement of the other. Every new trade route opened meant additicmil naval vessels, new sens to he charted, new naval problems to he mastered by the Hoard of Admiralty, until not only had the Tiavy grown naturally to he a great lighting force, but it had hade of it an almost inexhaustible reservoir of probably tile I lost sailormen in tho world. It is a les-on worth our learning, and the example of Germany drives it forcibly home, that the artificial creation of a strong navy i» almost impossible, apart from a strong mercantile marine. Tt is the navy's foster-mot her. and if our destiny is in future centuries to he a power in the Pacific, our inereaiitile ling must first become a eommoii sight in every harbour d( the world.

SAG A CITY. Another factor that is never stressed as il deserves is the rare political sagacity of such statesmen as the Pitts joined to a eon-isteiil. and bulldog admiralty policy which gradually put us in possession of* great coaling stations at all the strategic points in the seven seas. Britain can never bci onie a second-rate sea Power till she lirst loses these. We can well understand, and in seme degree sympathise, with tlm patriotic Anieiican business innii on a round-the-world tour, who eii every landfall persistently inquired, “and what Hag is that !-" The answer was nearly always the same, until tlie American quite wearied of it. lie only asked the question once more, as they were approaching one of the grento-i el our Kmpirc outposts-—and receiving the inevitable answer, exclaimed in sheer annoyance, and to the unjustified indignation of hi- fellow passengers, “oh, cuss the Fnion .Jack!’’ In our possession of this chain of advanced posts, which places Britain's frontiers beyond the horizon of every sea. we are rpiite naturally tile envy of the world. Hut all tlie-e are tangible and ma-

terial factors, there remain lor urnsideration certain invisible ones mere vital and important 'till. One of these is our mil oral Anglo-Saxon -ea-st'll.-e. The German is a continental, and lias little love for the sea: to the. Briton the sea is home. and if h ■ 111 u -1 light he will do so oil the sea by preference. We have engrained within us a love for embarking m the unknown. a -put inborn that gladly accept- tlie challenge of the unseen. No •on -I) -I" to I and -ilotfl. but seme liri ti-li keel li.is broken ii~ surface. nolle -o intricate and uniiavigable. but some British captain ha- threaded its luaize. Again and again, when the liberties of men are under threat, the World bit' seen a resurgence cl the old indomitable Viking -ea-spirii. which blazed up once more in our own generation, and at the -iglu of it, whether in the humblest niidshipniite on 1 lie cutters at Ihe Dardanelles, or in the infinitely daring and re-oiircelul handling of the lossy little destroyers, our soldiers “could scarce forbear to cheer." Some great artist may yet capture and imprison oil canvas the Jirilish -jiiril and gonitis lor the soil that lor centuries hi'- been tlie guarantor aml vindicator of the rights „f mankind, lie will lift the curtain from the land of shades and depict the meeting there of the ex-Kaiser with the great Kmperor's history, ( harle--Mjo'iie. Charles V., Philip 11., I.oiu's XIV.. ami Napoleon, and each will have a somewhat similar story to tell. Each o'-ayed in his ~wn way world dominion, each attained almost to the very height of his lustful ambition, each in the Imur ol lir.e-ti'nl triumph, saw tic* cup of victory dashed limn his lip-, ill cadi <:i-c by tlie .'-iinifhand, British Sea Power.

Tin; pnsso-sinli l.y oili* Ill'll’.l of till' rugged iiM fen-sciise Inis iiu’ili’ )id-- ' 1 1 1 1< • ItNn tlm.-C superb naval t I’llllil iull-: which Imiv Ijft-unif -i) t'li.-liriiii (1 in mir '•mil that they arc a rt• -t■ rv»■ phantom navy, yet one with which any aulng-nui.-t will have to reckon. The Admirality is iniin 1 ITiI of mir endless dohl to siicli ore at Captains as Kodncy. Nelson, Mood, and onr new linttleships will carry their names. Vet multitudes ol' nameless ones, too, have shed rivers ol' hloo.l and reddened the waters ol every sea to pass down untarnished these traditions of the glorious past. Wise men know Imw infinitely proeimts they arc, and the King's message to the navy on the outbreak of war concerned itself with them: "T am confident my navy will revive and renew the old glories, and prove once mure the sure shield of llritam.” Lord Jelliooe’s reply was a trumpet call: "Tl is the inspired determination of all to uphold the glorious traditions of the past.” It was this impalpable thing the Merman sailor learned to fear, for under the condition- which onr fleet had In endure hefnre it had attained an inviiicalile battle position at .lilt-1 land it received a frightful hammering: hut while it iust shook itseli like I ;v dog preparing lor another spring a the enemy's throat, the Merman flee which up to that point, had suH'erei much less, turned hurriedly home witl broken spirit and shattered morale and never sailed out again except t< surrender.

NAVAL SUPREMACY- IN THE PACIFIC.

But- the old order lins ; cased' for ever, anil Britain’s unchallenged superiority on the sea is no more, and with our sanction another Power holds equality with us. Fortunately, it Is n country which shares with us in tlie common Anglo-Saxon fund of: sturdy sea-sense and noble traditions. Il the trident of Neptune must pass out of our keeping,, there is no other Power into whose hands il cottbl he so safely entrusted as that of the United Stales of America, and in tho hands of'AngloSaxons it is destined long to remain. If she should choose to follow the path of Germany and build an irresistible navy no counrty could oiler really serious competition. She produces nearly twice as much iron and steel as the re-t of the world ; she has the designers and builders; and, above all money to burn. In the Pacific, Amer-

ica's strategic position is wellnigh impregnable, lor she has only her heart to guard ; but Britain's heart heats in the Pacific, twelve thousand miles from home, and is most vulnerable there. To Britain a defeatad navy spells death : to America, it is an unfortunate incident.

The abandonment, of the Singapore base makes our position even worse, for it would appear that a nation which holds vast and vulnerable territories in distant seas, and is not prepared to maintain a base adequate to the demands of the situation for their protection, would he stronger it she did not possess them at all. And such possessions would lie fully justified ill seeking alliances with whatever Power could ensure to them in their hour of deliberate need that which every country has the right to demand first of all from its statesmen, and that which few countries stand more in need of to-dav than Australia-, reasonable safely. If Britain refuses to reconsider her Singapore decision, which, as she in the long run lias to foot the bill, she has a perfect right to do. it is iiicuiid'cnt tit ion Australia to wake up and remember it is not a safe country, lor, as has been recently said by tc visiting authority: “For all delensivc purposes a man with a hand hacksaw* could cut Australia in two,” and take as a new slogan, “Salely first. I hiwmild mean the gradual adoption of t< more independent foreign policy, to safeguard our national security, but unit'll more, it would mean that, luxuryloving Aii'tralia must add another luxury to its long list, but one much more vital and necessary than all the racecourses and saloons ill the ( oillmi iiwealtli—a cruiser, submarine, and aeroplane base in the vicinity of Port Darwin.

Britain's wars have invariably been liloo.lv, cosily, and long, because of her supinene— anil neglect in years ul peace. Heligoland was surrendered al a time like this, when England was Mind to its future potential enemies, and when national security scorned adequately provided for; but who will ever gauge what its abandonment cost us' What sweat of brain and brow? What treasure:- What sulfei ings !- What blood:- It will be so again, and those who see and look lorlli across the Pacific feel more deeply limn words can cxnress I bat what we surrender so ea-ily to-day will have to be bought back to-morrow by the broken hotlies of out- children, if it‘be bought hack at all.—.‘'ydtte.v Herald.