H.M.S. RENOWN.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 September 1926, Page 4

H.M.S. RENOWN.

ANOTHER. ROY An, idUR. (By John Sandes). The big battle cruiser which is to revisit Australia next year with the Duke and Duchess of York on board should almost be able to find her own way this time—with a little assistance from ‘‘Commander N.,” as the navigating officer is called. It will bo just upon seven years .since the Renown left Portsmouth, in March, 1920, with tlio Prince of "Wales waving bis farewells to tile cheering crowd ashore. The time has flown fast, but many unforeseen events have happened in the interval, and some things that were expected have n'6t happened. The Prince of Wales is still unmarried, and consequently the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York, whose infant daughter remains in England in the care of Queen Mary, receives an added importance. It has to he remembered that the infant princess is now third in the succession to the Throne. 'I be wisdow of the decision to keep the Royal infant in England while her parents are voyaging in Australia 011 business of State can be appreciated. To make the voyage through the Panama, Canal in a battle-cruiser subjects the grown-up traveller to an inconveniently high degree of beat. Ibe experience might easily he fatal to an infant. Rarely indeed lias a great fighting ship of the Royal Navy been used for the voyage of a Roylil Prince accompanied by his princess; and the fact that the Lords of the Admiralty hate yielded to the Australian Prime .Minister’s earnest request in this matter shows the deep desire of the British Government, to comply- with the wishes .of the people of Australia. Air Bruce made it a strong point that their Royal Highnesses should travel by a battle-cruiser instead of by a chat teled mail steamer, as was proposed. He understood tile added significance that would attach to a Royal visit carried out in such a way as to emphasise the power of the British Navy, which has for its great duty tile task ol keeping the ocean routes that, unite the different parts of the British Empire free for all the people of that Empire, from the members of the Royal Bundy to the ordinary citizen travelling on lii.s ‘‘lawfid occasions.” MAKING HISTORY. The Duchess of York will he making history when she embarks on H.M.S. Renown. Moreover, it is not to be expected that she could perform the voyage unattended by her bulb's-in-wait-ing. 011 such a long journey the companionship lii'd ministrations of members of her sox must be absolutely necessary. And here let it he said that the Duchess will sacrifice something of her own comfort by travelling 011 a ship of war instead of on a mail steamer. The Renown is fi magnificent ship, and iu the rearrangement of accommodation that will he provided by the Admiralty everything possible to ensure the comfort ol the Duke mid Duchess will, of course, he carried out. P,nt a battle-cruiser, belted with armour plate mid fitted with steel decks, is not the ideal vessel for making a long voyage, the greater part of which will he through tropic seas. The truth of the matter is that it was extremely hot on board Hie Renown when the Prince of Wales came out in her in 1920. At Barbados, elf Colon, in the Panama Canal, and in the equatorial waters between Honolulu and Fiji, those steel decks radiated lie fee heat. ft is true that the decks aft are covered with leak planking. The spud oils quarter-deck, where marines and bluejackets are drawn up for ceremonial parade when exalted personages come aboard or leave the ship; whore the wardroom officers play hockey furiously every afternoon when tlio Renown is lit sea to keep themselves fit, and where delighted guests chase the glowing hours with (lying feet to the music of the hand of the Royal Marines when she is in port, is as smooth as a ballroom floor. The starboard side of the upper (.lock is reserved exclusively for the use of Royalty when Royalty travels, and that deck also is covered with planking, and is available for small dances. ft was used for that purpose on the evening of the Renown’s arrival at Barbados, tlio first port of call after Portsmouth in Liu l Royal tour of 1920. and no doubt it, will he used in the same

way again. Whether at Barbados or at some other island of the West Indies, as the Renown lies at anchor in the roadstead, she will ho dressed in pink and white awnings, illuminated by myrads of softened lights, and launches will bring on the cargoes of pretty girls, flushed with excitement, to dance with officers in white and gold uniforms, while the big bright tropical stars look down on them from the velvet sky, and sUirc up at them from unimaginable depths of dark and tranquil water. The reason why it must be so is that the Renown must call somewhere for oil fuel. It takes 12 days to steam from Portsmouth to ' Barbados at ccononiicli.l cruising speed, and 12 days represent just about as long a time as the Renown can conveniently cruise without replenishing her oil tanks. When a ship of the Royal Navy with Royalty on'board calls for fuel at a British possession the obvious and natural sequel is a cbyice on board. CRUISER AS ESCORT. If precedent is followed, as it usually is in the Royal Navy, a cruiser from the squadron on the West Indies station will be despatched to escort, the Renown to Pamma and thence into the Pacific Ocean. The Duke and Duchess of York will see I,he wonders of the Panama Canal for the first time, and before they leave the Canal they will be received and welcomed by the representatives of two foreign Governments. High ofticinls representing the United States Government, which controls and administers the canal zone, will wait upon them for an audience as soon as the Renown enters from Colon on the Atlantic side, and the President of the Republic of Panama will do his part when the Canal has been traversed and the travellers are able to inspect the romantic little town of Panama. Colonel Goethals, the first administrator of the zone for the United States Government, was a Germlan, and he carried out his duties with German thoroughness. The regulations that he framed are still observed, and the heavy penalties that he imposed for disobedience aro still levied. The employee who leaves an opening in one of the copper gauze screens that surround every window of his domicile does so at his peril. The barrier against mosquitoes must be preserved unbroken. Heavy fines, and in the last resort expulsion from the zone, will be the punishment of carelessness. Colonel Goethals himself has gone. During the war his German sympathies rendered it undesirable that he should remain in an office of so much power. But the work that he did lives after him, and their Royal Hgluiesses will be as much astonished and delighted as all other travellers are at the smoothness and celerity with which the complicated operations of transferring a mighty battle cruiser from the Atlantic to the Pacific- are carried out. TIES OF FRIENDSHIP. Afore than one opportunity will be offered during the voyage for drawing j closer the ties of friendship between Britain and the United States. Not only in the Panama Canal zone, but

also possibly, at San Diego, and at Honolulu, the Duke of York will find | the occasion for speaking words of 1 amity and goodwill. If lie displays the same happy gift for saying the right thing at the right time that was shown by he Prince of Wales in all public utterances, lie may effect much. If, as on the former voyage, the II cnoivn should c-all at San Diego, in Southern California, and later at Honolulu, for fresh supplies of oil fuel, the Duke of York would find himself on the Pacific addressing representatives of the English-speaking nation which, like Great Britain, is vitally concerned in the maintenance of national interests and the preservation of peace in that ocean. It is fitting that the Royal Prince, who stands second ill the line of succession to the British Crown, should, like his elder brother, the heir-apparent, have an opportunity of meeting representatives of the American nation on their own soil and' speaking with them on the supreme interest of both peoples, who together occupy such a large part, oI tht territory abutting on the Pacific. The people of New Zealand are to reap the advantage of their geographical situation by being Ibe first . to welcome the Duke and Duchess of I orlc to Australasia. In this they will repeat their experience in 1920. On that occasion the Renown had lost n day through unforeseen delays at Honolulu and Fiji, and it was necessary to make up time in order to arrive punctually at Auckland. One great advantage' of tim-elling by the Renown is that she is always capable ot making up time. On the run from Suva to Auckland in 1920 she achieved the record for that ocean stage. In spite of a strong head wind and heavy sea, she accomplished a. goad part of the journey at a speed of 27 knots, and the spectacle as she drove into the big sens, throwing huge masses of foaming water high ever her fortcustle, and making, twin rainbows on her port and starboard .sides, was one that is not soon forgotten. Travelling to Australia on the Renown, the King's second soil, with his youthful, consort, "‘ill travel in right Royal state. They will receive a right Royal welcome on their arrival.