The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. MONDAY, JUNE 16, 1913. H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 35, 16 June 1913, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. MONDAY, JUNE 16, 1913. H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND.

In his memorandum to Cabinet on March 20th, 1909,' Sir Joseph Ward wrote: "There is at the present time a. crisis in the affairs of the Empire. The cables recently published regarding the keeping of tbe British Navy uj) to a standard that will ensure the safety of all parts of the Empire arc of a most disquieting nature : so much so that- I feel the* time lias arrived when New Zealand should do something more than it is now doing to show its practical assistance and support of the British Navy in such a way that the moral effect of New Zealand's co-operation would quite irrespective of the money value lie of more than ordinary moment." How Parliament endorsed the then] Premier's view, and how the gift of the Dreadnought was made on New! Zealand's behalf, are now matters of history. The gift, at the time it was made, was undoubtedly an inspiration,! compelling world-wide attention, and forcing home the fact to the enemies of Britain that her children were still i loyal to the old Flag and still prepared | to take their part in the Empire's] defence. Other of Britain's Dominions! and dependencies answered in similar' voice, and it became plain that thej young nations, offspring of England,

were a power to bo reckoned with. Tims also it became apparent that, none too soon, these new and vigorous ( young nations wore awakening to the tact "that the Motherland could not, for all time, bear the whole burden of maintaining her great and ever-grow-ing navy. A prominent Canadian statesman not long ago said: "For five centuries the patient, toiling British tax-payer lias paid the bill, and paid it with a cheerful countenance, and so far without grumbling. Can you find in the history of the world a more sublime figure and instrumentality of great and powerful good worked in so unselfish a way, and borne so cheerfully and unstintingly by the few milI lions of people who live in the islands

of the North Sea? To some, and I

confess to myself, it is time, for very J shame's sake, that we did something and something adequate." The trur spirit is abroad, and that we are doing something adequate is demonstrated by the presence of the splendid vessel now in New Zealand waters, and which to-morrow will bo visited bj the people of Taranaki. H.M.S. New Zealand, splendid example of her kind, is our own ship, but she is also , a part of the great Imperial Navy,

the greatest the world has ever seen. It is certainly a privilege to us in this remote corner of this far-south Dominion to have the opportunity of seeing the great warship. How great she really is can hardly be conceived. Previously to the visit of H.M.S. New Zealand, H.M.S. Powerful was the biggest ship that had. ever been in Dominion waters. She had a displacement of 14,200 tons, and was 520 ft. in length. The New Zealand is 580 ft.

long over all, or 3ft, over one-ninth of a mile, and displaces 19.200 tons; in fact, when they were new, the New Zealand and the Indefatigable were the longest and nearly the heaviest vessels in the British Navy. The New Zealand is nearly 80ft. wide, which means thati from bulwarks to bulwarks she is far wider than an ordinary street. With her great guns, her" submerged torpedo tubes, and her heavy armour, she is a strange monster, capable of terrible deeds if red war unhappily broke out. But now she is a show ship of the best, and to-morrow at New Plymouth, as at every other port in the Dominion, she has yet visited, there will be a great rejoicing and a hearty welcome to her eight hundred officers and men. All that is required is the favour of the weather-gods, with a shining sky, and smooth seas to.make June 17th, 1913, a great day indeed for Taranaki.