WARSHIPS AND STRIKES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16486, 27 February 1914, Page 6

WARSHIPS AND STRIKES.

Mr Winston Churchill’s statement in the House of Commons regarding the use made of the cruisers Psyche and Pyramus during the recent industrial troubles in New Zealand is reassuring as showing that the Imperial authorities were in no way responsible for what occurred. The Admiralty, with a very proper sense of the obligations and responsibilities of the Navy, has insisted always that the King’s warships must not be used for strikebreaking purposes or allowed to interfere in the least degree in industrial disputes, even to the extent of discharging time-expired men where they might be used to replaco striking workers. The value of these wise rules has been proved on many occasions ; n the Mother Country, where the Labour organisations have not been tempted to regard the naval forces as potential enemies in the hour of industrial strife. Reading between the lines of the First Lord’s statement, we can sco why the senior naval officer in New Zealand waters hesitated to depart from the practice of the service when he was asked to let his men do police work on the wharves a few months ago. He communicated with the Admiralty on tho subject and received in reply a cablegram which has been quoted by Mr Churchill. ‘‘.The Admiralty’s policy,” it ran, “ is to avoid all interference in labour disputes, especially in tho dominions, and to endeavour to avoid being in a position where it is likely to be called upon. Don’t go unless you are personally satisfied that your presence is necessary to avoid bloodshed. The Admiralty find great difficulty in believing that such conditions exist.” What occurred after the receipt of that message we can merely guess, but Mr Churchill has made it clear that the measures taken by the officers commanding the warships “ were adopted only at + he express request of the responsible Government of the dominion.” The Imperial authorities, in short, decline all responsibility for what occurred. We are quite content to leave the matter there. Warships are not likely to Iw used on another occasion in a New Zealand industrial struggle, as most people realise now, we think, how -disastrous such a policy must be hi its effect upon a force that should know nothing of parties or of classes. What happens when a navy becomes involved in political struggles has been painfully illustrated outside the Empire.