H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 February 1918, Page 8

H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND.

AN INTERESTING STORY. Mr. Tranklyii Webb, of Levfii, has re- '< ceived an interesting letter from his brother, Captain Richard Webb, C.8.. who last year was appointed to the command of the Dominion's battleship, the New Zealand. Captain Webb has had a distinguihsed career He -was in command of the battleship Amethyst at the beginning of the war but was soon given an important past in connection with the anti-submarine measures. His _services in that field of war won him the decoration of Commander of the- Bath. Latterly lie has had a high pogidon at : the Admiralty, but the call of the sea | proved irresistible, and he received Ids | present post. Mr. Franklyn Webb" plaei ed his brother's letter at the disposal of | the Levin Chronicle, and the following are some excerpts:—• "I was getting very weary of office life', and don't think I could iiave tir.od. it mtich longer. and then the offer of this splendid and historic ship came a lon and here I am. New Zealand may well be proud of her battle cruiser, for a liner lot of officers and men I, have never mcf. She is well known throughout the fleet as an efficient snip, and I have no doubt whatever that if she does get the chance she will add in splendid fashion to her already splendid record. "We had Sir Thomas Mackenzie, the High Commissioner for New Zealand, on board soon after I joined, and we welcomed him with a haka danced by some of the men in proper costume, .They learnt it wlien out in Sew Zealand, a"nd have kept it up ever since. Sir Thomas pronounced it exceedingly well done, which I need hardly say gave great satisfaction. He inspected the whole ship and was very pleased with all he saw. He and his party lunched with me, then wc took them round the fiee; in a motor boat. Of course the sine is full of gifts of all kinds presented during her cruise, but tlfe real gem is n Maori tiki from the Cltristehnreh Mrwnm, over which many incantation* weir said by the chiefs before presentation T)ii». and ;> mat presrtjted to Haisey by one of the chiefs are always worn by the Captain when the snip g(Jes into action, and the former also when the ship goes to sea during war time. ''The ship herself is in splendid ordeJ end though >i> longer a very new vessel is quite ready for allcomers. "The Germans will, as the Kaiser says, fight to the very last cat and dog, and they are a very long way from that yet. It is quite clear thafc we have got to see it through. The entry oi America into the war is bound to make an immense difference —in fact, all the..difference in the world, and they are going into the "ua. - with all their customary thoroughness. Their destroyers have done .and aie doing magnificent work, and I don't suppose their flying men, ti'jeir artillery and then* infantry will he-one whit behind them,"