SHIFTING THE NAVAL BASE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 308, 25 June 1912, Page 4

SHIFTING THE NAVAL BASE

NATURE OF THE SQUADRON. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, June £2. A visit of examination to the Dominion is at present being carried out by Captain Rolleston (in charge of th# naval base at Svdncv), Colonel Johns-ton, director of artillery in New Zealand, and Lieut. Sydenham, the Admiralty's representative at West.port. The inspection will he concluded this week, and the Admiralty's representatives leave for Sydney next Monday. Captain Rolleston has been impressed with the interest that is being taken in the forthcoming change in naval matters in the Dominion. The Defence Department has done everything in its power to assist the officers. Captain Rolleston ij also grateful to the Auckland Harbor Board (particularly to the chairman and engineer), who have gone to a lot of trouble in connection with the matter. Auckland harbor impressed the visitor* rerv much, as filling ail the requirements of a naval base, and it is interesting to note that the progressive works, which hare been carried out by the Auckland Harbor Board, have very much facilitated the work of the Admiralty in establishing a base at this port. They wer# | much struck with the port and its liui mense advantages respecting the great I advance in trade which must follow in ' the near future.

As is well known, Auckland has .been definitely fixed upon as the site olf tihe new base, necessitated by the removal of the centre of affairs from Sydney following on the establishment of an Australian Navy. The ships to be stationed in New Zealand will be all new, and are now being constructed at Home. There will be two cruisers of the Bristol type (4820 tons, 22,000 horse power, speed 25 knots), three destroyers, and two submarines. The last-mentioned will be quite new to this part of the world. Th# destroyers will differ from those in the Australian Navy in the fact that they wi]l t carry coal only, whereas the Australian boat will carry oil as well. The submarines will burn petrol, and »übbas<te for the storage of this fuel will probably be located at Wellington and Port Chalmers or Dunedin. The fleet wiH be known as "The New Zealand Division of the China Squadron," and the officer in command will probably b» a Commodore, but this and other similar, points are matters of detail. As an indication of what the ehang* will mean to New Zealand from a business point of view, it may be mentioned that the fleet represents between 11,000 and 12,000 officers and men, who will be stationed in New Zealand waters always, so that, although the number of Ships will be less than that which composed the old Australian Squadron, the change means a decided permanent increase, for New Zealand. The arrival of the division next April will have an additional eclat lent to it by the fact that the New Zealand—the Dreadnought presented to the Motherland by the Dominion—will also arrive at the same time. In reference to shore emiipment in connection with the establishment of the ba«e no details are at present evailable. ' n» this and other matters arc upon which Captain Rolleston has comt across the Tasman Sea to report upon, but the shore buildings will probably be on a fairly extensive scale. At any rate, the Admiralty reserve near the Calliop* Dock gives ample Toom for all poasibW requirements of both ships and men. There has been a good deal of folk about the need of an Admiralty house, in view of the new base, but it is probable that no such residence will bo necessary—at least, on nothing like so generous a scale as the mansion in Emily Plate, which was erected for an Admiral wko never arrived.