The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1933. NAVAL NEEDS.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 December 1933, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1933. NAVAL NEEDS.

It seems all too apparent from the real arks in high places at Home, that tile British Navy is not of the strength that it should be—weighing the needs of the national safety. This failing is not from any internal degeneracy, luit because of Britain’s desire to conform with pacts, and in the urge to accomplish international disarmament she sought to lead the way. But while so “self-sacrificing, other great powers worked along reverse lines, and added strength to their greatness. But it is essemia! that Britain should remain a great power, her interests seaborne and far flung are so enormous. It is from the sen. that the Empire draws its strength and vitality, and in that quarter Britain must ho invulnerable. When Nelson’s memory was last honoured in England, it was pointed out that it was necessary to call the attention of Britsh people the world over to the abiding realities of the position, namely that it is on sea power that the existence and prosperity of the Empire depend, and that the safety, honour and welfare of the Dominions are maintained only by ceaseless vigilance and devotion to duty. So far as England is concerned, the period of the Great War proved how much the food supply (;f the nation -depended on the safety of the sea routes. Tt is said there are 85,000 miles of sea way used to supply five-sixths of the food needed and for raw material for manufactures, as well, also, as uninterrupted trading intercourse with the world at large. The Nrvy is a vita! part of the whole for it is the sure shield and the defence of Great Britain, the Dominions and the Colonies. The Empire was built up by the patience, bravery and resource of many founders who have gone before. They hare

given a great heritage, a:;

d tV. tra-

•iitij-.b ui their deeds are the pride a-nd pleasure of the race to-day. The lessors of the past should provide inspiration and guidance nowadays, and there should he no slackening m the duty to see that the Navy >s maintained as ' the safeguard it should I jo. The statesmen of Britain learning the lesson of the last war with all its horrors and disasters, hoped to lead the world to a more rational code of international intercourse. The League of Nations was set up to settle national difficulties and in the first real task it was called on to adjudge, it was impotent—beyond passing a wordy resolution which fell on unhearing ears. There, disarmament was proposed, and a useful objective was propounded. But again no progress is made, and the war-mad world is again revelling in the building of armaments, much of it in secrecy. We saw that “the war to t'lid war’’ has not accomplished its human objective, nor have the artificial aids since propounded found effective favour. There are to-day signs and portents of another war. There is unrest and fear in Europe again, very near to England, and those indications are not to be ignored on sane grounds. We may take it, therefore, that realising the obvious, those whose duty it is to be watchful and alert, are aware of the trend of international events and are alive to the British naval needs, and steadily complying with them. There are some outward indications that this is so, and that pointer, in all the circumstances, is comforting at least.