BRITISH SEA POWER.

Motueka Star, Volume III, Issue 109, 29 August 1902, Page 5

BRITISH SEA POWER.

COLONIAL NAVIES. Captain Mahan has contributed to the July National Review an able paper on " Considerations Governing the Disposition of Navies.” The Spectator devotes an article to it, and e.includes with the following paragraph, which lias a lively interest for colonial readers :—“ Before we leave Captain Mahan’s interesting paper, we must say a \v..rd as to the advice which he incidentally gives the Australian Colonies in the matter of Imperial naval 'defence. In effect he bids them re* member that they will not obtain the nest security by coast defence ships and localised squadrons, but only by a nubile force We entirely agree. This is just the advice we ventured to give the Australians when we suggested that they might very likely find it necessary to defend Australia in the Mediterranean. But though we are quite as firm as the firmest naval strategist ori this point, we cannot agree that it necessitates the colonies hiring their defence from us by a mere money contribution. On the .contrary, we hold that the best way getting the colonies to realise the true nature of sea-power is for them t.) build and man seagoing navies of toeir own. Captain Mahan, we are glad to see, does not apparently regard this notion as forbidden. He leaves the question entirely open. For ourselves, we hold that in the long run naval power rests on the naval spirit existing in the Empire that seeks naval power. But Canada, Australia, and New Zealand will never attain to that naval spirit which is the life breath of maritime Empire if they hire their naval protection in Britain, or merely pay in money. They will only foster the naval spirit by having sea-going ships of their own, for whose upkeep and equipment their own s tatesmen and their - own people take the fullest responsibility. When Australians man and officer ships paid for by Australian money w© shall see dockyards and Navel Reserves and naval base-; of real value spring up in Australia. Mere monev subsidies to the Horne Admiralty wdl never create the spirit on which naval.power rests. It is Decause we are so intensely convinced of the •nport.mos of sea power to the Empire a *d of the* sea-spirit that we want to Canadian, Australian, New Zeai&ua &ou.fch= African squadrons,

for which the four free nations of the Empire are responsible, even though they place them in far-distaut waters to learn their business and to take their share in creating and maintaining the command of the sea for the British Empire.”

“A ‘War Special’ told me recently,’ writes M. A.P., “how on one occasion he presented himself to get Lord Kitchener's signature to his pass to go to the front. Seated at his table with despatches all mind him, the ‘man of ice and iron’ looked up with a welcoming smile. T suppose you've come for your papers,’ he said, and then twisting the pass about he added—‘Do you know what I would like to do with you?’ ‘No; nothing severe, I hope.’ said his visitor. ‘I should like to have you sent to the rear and shot,’ went on the autocrat, ‘but as I can’t have my way, I suppose you must have your pass, and, with a stroke of his pen he completed and laughingly handed over the license for the civilian critic.”

Captain William Shot-ton, of the steamer Jesseric, which arrived at Adelaide recently from New York is associated with the memorable incident of the bringing of the ship Trafalgar into Melbourne from Batavia nine years ago. The captain and all the officers or the Trafalgar died of fever at sea, and Captain Shotton, who was then a midshipman only eighteen years of age, navigated the ship to Melbourne, and the exploit coming under the notice of the nautical authorities at London, the hero of it reeieved substantial recognition. Lloyd’s presented him with a medal and certificate and full set of nautical instruments for distinguished services. He had saved a valuable cargo, and, it may be said, the lives of the crew. The present is Captain Shottou's first visit to Australia since that memorable incident. He is now commodore-captain of a fleet numbering thirty-five steamers and sailing vessels. A company with a capital of .£2OOO is being floated in Hastings to undertake the distribution of locally grown fruit.