AUSTRALIA

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 141, 7 November 1914, Page 5

AUSTRALIA

THE NAVAL QUESTION. PRESS VIEWS. The Telegraph 'says' that apparently tiie. British s!:ip.- are at last in touch with the elusive Hi-: man licet in lie.h'acilie. it will he a ssccial relief to publis i'celiiii, if the formidable cruisers which at one tinre were within three days of New Zealand are finally accounted for. Even the silencing 'of the. Km.lea would be more welcome news than the capture of all the Wands taken from Germany. Sydney, November 5.

The Telegraph, commenting on Mr. Masscy'.s thanks lor the protection of the Australian Navy, say's it may occur to people in Xew Zealand that it exemplifies the value to them of regular navy co-operation with "Australia. Xew Zealand cannot hope effectively to protect itself ljy sea for many years, whereas hy combining with Australia she could ensures almost at once, the handy presence of a strong navy. The Herald, in a leader, expresses appreciation of .Mr. .Mass* y's thanks, and refers to the envied position of the hattleshin Xew Zealand, defending the In-art of the Kmpirc. If the Australian Navy hail remained as in the subsidy era, there would have been no expedition to Xew (iniiu-ii or Samoa. The war, whatever <|uostioiis it leaves unanswered, lias defined the future relations of Australia and Xew Zealand, and settled any doubts in the minds of Australians in to the right naval policy for ttiem. People who have shared the same enterprises and the same dangers need nothing mure to hind them together, unless such frank recognition as is contained in Mr. Mn-sey's,speech. A nation which knows of the presence within striking distance of the coast of enemy ships, powerful enough to bombard towns and destroy commerce, needs no other proof of the value of a local navy. The value of a battleship of the Australia class in these waters is in effect ten tunes greater than luid it been in the Xorfh Sea.

A CONTI\"< (ENTER I'JNED. A HARD CASE. 1 Received 0, 10.30 p.m. Melbourne, November (i. Herbert Batcson, iift.li officer on the Oslerley, who joined the Expeditionary Force, was fined .C'l on a charge, of desertion. The prosecution stated that the Orient Company did not object to their ollieers' fighting for the King, provided the. mail service was not dislocated. liateson said he asked the captain's permission to enlist, offering to provide a substitute, but the request was. declined.