H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 October 1916, Page 4

H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND.

LETTER FROM CAPTAIN GREEIT.

The Rev. Canon Hamilton, of Fendalton, has received the following interesting letter from Captain Green, of H.M.S, New Zealand:

H.M.S. New September 12, 1918. Dear Canon Hamilton,—Very many thanks for your kind and generatu gift of £lO for our boys' recreation fund. It is most acceptable and very much appreciated, and as at the present time \v>; are having a spell of lovely weather, it comes in very well for small picnic parties for the boys. As a matter of fact, your last kind gift of £2O waa not quite finished. I was very interested to hear that you were an old naval officer, and that George Tryon was your last captain. He was my flrstf captain in the Monarch in the Mediterranean, which he paid off in January, 18S-> 1 was only a naval cadet tberei with him for six months, and then hej was relieved by Fairfax. Yes, we cerUrniy bore a charmed life at the Jutland mattle, and I trust we may continue that lneß. I fancy we stall have one more big naval battle, and I trust) we shall do more to finish them off than) last time; but mist and darkness helped! them that time. But there are so manjl factors now to flunk of in a naval battle, and it is all so large that it gets rather difficult to do exactly the right) thing. Still, I am confident that there can be only one end to a naval battle, and that is that victory will be -W/ithi us; but, of course, we shall have losses. The B.P, seems to think, or did think, that we could win a naval batt'e with great ease, and no losses; but, as we all know, the Germans have a verji fine fleet, and are good fighters—but, 08 course, we have good superiority in; numbers. Though' one feels wc are steadily pressing our _>nemies now, yet) I cannot see. any prospect of a "good" peace in the near future. We shall bet lucky if we are in touch with it thu time next year. If this ship should come out to New Zealand after the war, and I am in. her, 1 hope I may' have the pleasure of meeting you, and no doubt) we shall have a great yarn to spin over, the Navy and affairs of State. Again, very many thanks from us all for youß kind present.—l remains, yours t'uly, JOHN F. E. GREEN.