STOLEN THUNDER

Shannon News, 30 March 1926, Page 4

STOLEN THUNDER

SUPPORT FOR BRITISH NAVY CO-OPERATION OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. "Mr. Little, your chairman has stolen my thunder," declared. Commodore Wardle, commander of the Australian naval squadron, when responding to a welcome from the Wellington Commercial Travellers' and Warehousemen's Association. The "thunder" was the urgent need for better co-operation between Australia -end New Zealand toward the support of the British Navy. Mr. Little, chairman of the Association, in the course of his welcome, emphasised Uhis question, and said a" better sph-it was growing up. It was to be hoped that in the near future Australia and v New Zealand would have such a navy as would suffice to keep their coasts clear in the event of an attack until the British navy could arrive to bring assistance.—(Applause). Should Pull .Together." My opinion is that the closest cooperation is necessary between the two dominions, remarked Commodore Wardle, in continuing his reply. They should pull together and provide adequate defence for their own shores," more particularly as to both if it is, necessary that they should ship their produce overseas to European markets. The only adequate protection that can be provided is from the sea, for although it has been, said that an enemy might attack our trade routes by airship, still is is necessary that transports should be provided for these air evssels,-and if an adequate naval force were in existence in the Pacific to combat those transports and their protecting then airships could do little harm. 'This, is an historic occasion," proceeded the Commodore, "for although single ships of the Australian /jfquadron haNje visited your (shores on previous occasions, this is { the first time that a squadron has come to New eZaland. I hope that this will only be a forerunner of many such visits, or rather of an interchange of visits, and I can assure the New Zealand squadron that in Australia they will get just as good a welcome as we are receiving here." Proceeding, the speaker stressed the point that such visits were productive of the greatest good, as\ enlightening the personnel of the vessels as to the similarity' of the views and aspirations of the two countries. v "We came to New Zealand," he said, ' "and we find here the same intense loyalty to the King and Empire which exists in Australia, and we find also a spirit of brotherliness toward Australia which augurs well for the relations of the two dominions in regard to Pacific problems in future. As long as this spirit exists you canriot go far wrong."