DOES BRITAIN RULE THE SEA?

Motueka Star, Volume I, Issue 6, 30 August 1901, Page 4

DOES BRITAIN RULE THE SEA?

I , . . ’’ . The Navy League have is.-nod a cn - j culor eadliug ntteutia .* to theii- previous i dcela.i-atiun, made on October 2(>th, I 1 930, that i’r r ovt In,-1. .•.-t the comm and j < 1 toe sen. Vv lie'!, inwi-vc;-, Lad Solborne and th.e new l> r.vd of Admirality c.-ium into wii:‘ ce, tnev suspended eriticis n, on toe gr und that, ti c-y should lu.t iie nampered w,th criticism tdl they had ha<{ time to master the situation. They think, however, that tune has now ome for public opinion to sup. port “ My Lords’’ in Induing their own. They therefore cal! attention to th.e Condition of the mediterranean Fleet and its wants. There is no breakwater at Malta, Egypt is undefended ;*»there is a deficiency in battleships and destroyers; tliere are no fleet auxiliaries (i. f , hospital auil repairing ships, fvo■HHhftkt* stare mother-sk Ips for descolliers. telegraph or, blunt-11 used, pierce modern armour), field-guns are 1 ships. Filially Department the German

this defect that all the other defects are comprehended. The Board of Admirality is too much drowned in details to think. 'The excuse of want of money is always given to hide deficiencies, but the real want is not money, but care, forethought, and organisation. Mr •‘Verburgh, M. P., and Mr Arnold White duriug the course of a cruise with tlie Mediteranean Fleet carried out an interesting- experiment. In order to realize in their own persons the iuade piacy of sailors’ diet they arranged for one day t> v etur.l as bluejackets. Tim iesn.lt was to convince them, in Mr Yevbuigh’s -words that “ the ; all.n-f bluejackets axe niiuly sufficieut to keep body and soul together. ” Giving an illustration of h s contention that the men want more food and a better distribution of the meals, it may be noted Coat between 12.30 midday and 3 30 nest morning they have nothing- hut a b -\vl of tea without milk and a chunk of diybiead. Wo i'p tint S : r J.-hn Cob mb, M.P. who can always be relied on for a sensible opinion, based on expert hnowledgo, in 1 egard to Service matters, while a.-».-wttng that tlie ,pi.il.t-y /»f some ex the foul was excellent, admitted tuac it was n.-t snlticieut, and i-.iat cae men wei-e driven to supplement then--3 at.ous by tne purciive-.e of cxtiii sUj.>plies at the canteens out of their private money. That is a method which may he tolerated at an expensive | üblic school, but it. is alt .gether in--1 ei‘e;• slide to sanction it in tlie case ui our bluejackets.