NAVAL DEFENCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2727, 1 May 1924, Page 4

NAVAL DEFENCE.

ADMIRAL FIELD’S ADVICE TO NEW ZEALAND . The Admiral and officers of the Special Sendee Squadron were the guests of the Government at a luncheon given in Parliament Buildings at Wellington on Monday. Tt was a brilliant and impressive function. His Excellency the Governor General (Viscount Jellieoe) presided.

Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick Field on rising lo reply to the toast of “Our Guests,” was greeted with continued applause. He said that he spoke with great diffidence because in Lord Jellieoe he had beside him the man who had taught him all he knew about the Navy. The question of defence was manifold. Local conditions were of consequence. Adequate naval power was essential. All nations were taxed to carry on trade after the great upheaval of the war, yet- many irresponsible people had adopted specious and attractive arguments to advise the naval authorities to do without capital ships, and to make up the deficiency with aeroplanes. The capital ship, not necessarily the type of the Hood, as changes took place from time to time, but some form of capital ship, must be retained, and the fleet of the future would consist of the capital ship. The cost of the Navy at the present time was 30/per head of the population; very heavy, but not likely to be reduced, as the ships were nearly all of the same age, having been through the war, and needed replacement by up-to-date vessels and the security of the Empire depended on that. The duty of the main fleet was to meet and detain the enemy forces, and without a main fleet it would not be possible to prevent the enemy raiders from attacking the minor defences, on which the 'existence of the Empire depended and if would not be possible lo detach vessels from the main fleet to protect those defences. THREE CRUISERS NEEDED HERE.

He did not think one cruiser sufficient for the defence of New Zealand. Three were really necessary, in the event of one needing repairs. He asked New Zealand to build up a fund to purchase at least two cruisers, and, later on, three, as this would permit of sending one Home to receive the training that could not lie obtained here. Competition between crews was also necessary to secure the maximum of efficiency. There was also the point that the peoples of the Dominions did not understand the people of the Homeland, and vice versa, and the interchange would have a strong Imperial strengthening effect. He had been greatly impressed by the opportunities afforded here for expansion as compai-ed with the overcrowded state of the Old Land. Tt was important for New Zealand to have fuel and repair bases. As regarded the latter they could not do better than they were in Auckland. It was most important to keep the approaches of the main harbours free from the attacks of raiders, and it was very important to have auxiliary and mine-sweeping forces.