OIL AND WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 227, 23 March 1912, Page 4

OIL AND WAR.

The highly important; speech recently made by Mr. Winston Churchill, and reported in our cabh columns, indi- 1 ties that the British Cabinet desires to p,n> down its expenditure on naval armaments. Mr. Churchill, speaking for Britain, shows that if Germany is willing, the breakneck race, which is impoverishing Germany, but which is as yet not causing Britain to borrow money, will slow down. Of special interest to Taranaki people is the statement of Mr. Churchill in regard to oil fuel for the navy. He showed that oil was in>:onte'tably superior to coal as a fu 4 for warships. As we previously pointed out should oil be used to an appreciable extent in the navy—that is, should hundreds of tons be burnt annually—the constancy of the supply would be the greatest consideration. Unless constancy of supply and safety of storage were assured, it would be necessary to have warships of two classes, those that would buri coal and those that would burn oil, unless engineering science <iovised schemes by which a ship could easily alternate with the two fuels. Immensely the most important phase of the subject, however, is that each place con tnining oil deposits at once becomes highly dangerous ground, capable of being the centre of international disputes and the seat of armed aggression. The proved value of any oilfield ill the diy when oil becQmes the essential for tlio fighting of sea battles, would make it an armed eamp. When it is demonstrate!! that the navy or a portion of the navy is of no service whatever unless it can be adequately supplied with oil, the oiJfields of the Empire will become ths most important portions of it, the ceil-

f tres of dense populations, and necessarily J garrison towns. It is, therefore, conceivable that New Plymouth might frora being the peaceful centre of a successful farming community become the envy of foreigners anxious to obtain life-bloo.l for their warships. With the promhod development of the Taramiki oilfiek's and the development of other fields in New Zealand, the country will assume an importance denied to it while it remains in its lnieolie stage, "While it Is incontestable that the discovery, of oil and the vigorous working of the deposits will bring wealth to New Z-m land, it may have the useful effect of spurring the people to regard the danger of the new situation. At pres-jtic it might be difficult to assure the. man in the street that the ground would simply belch sovereigns and not trouble. Th< threat of trouble would not be without service. It is inevitable in the making of a nation that nationhood cannc", b-i secured without trouble. The strangest and most reliant nations are tho<« which have held their ends up unloi great tribulation. New Zealand lia« had pioneering tribulations and has fought towards success valiantly. Envy there may be of this, wonderful'country, but at any rate it has not been voiced. If, however, New Zealand became a phenomenally rich producer of the essential to naval success, the eyes of the powers would unquestionably be covetously turned towards us, thus spurring a national sentiment in a way impossible during periods of absolute safety. The great coal crises in Britain emphasise the additional importance of oil deposits and the value and danger of possessing them. The possibility is that in the near future the Empire will lie wide awake to the oil productivity of New Zealand, and that it will be necessary to guard this territory most ardently. During peace the authorities will probably concentrate on' taking huge supplies of oil to the most avail idU» and safest depots, for in time of war an toilfield will be in a position of a?nte danger from raiders. At such times life on an oilfield will have a charm denied to solely agricultural or pastoral communities.