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Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 134, 13 July 1914, Page 6

In view of the acquisition by the Admiralty of the controlling interest in the Anglo-Persian oil properties, the discovery of oil of a very high quality in Papua has considerable significance. The only reason for the Persian enterprise, and a similar venture in. Canada some time previously, must be that the Admiralty, satisfied by its own unpublished experiments that the explosion engine has come to stay, has committed itself to the adoption in the near future of an oil-propelled navy. The internal combustion engine promises to revolutionise the business of building Dreadnoughts and super-Dreadnoughts. The Diesel engine has responded satisfactorily to exhaustive" tests, and, though the secrets of the Admiralty are well kept, there is every reason to believe that it has proved the efficiency of this type, and, thus armed, has had the foresight to make arrangements that will ensure for the Imperial Navy a supply of oil fuel which will not be dependent on any one of the "trusts." TII3 First Lord of the Admiralty, in a statement on Naval Defence, claimed for the oildriven warship a great excess of speed, an increase of at least 40 per cent, in radius of action, and an advance of 25 per ceut. in general fighting strength. On paper, the case for oil versus coal is very much in favour of the former. Battleships may be re-fuelled at sea, without any of the discomfort and inconvenience attaching to coaling. In the Admiralty memorandum that recounted the acquisition of the Persian interests, it was stated that its intention was to have its oil contracts spread as far as possible over widely separated fields, so that if one source of supply were interfered with, another would be accessible. Considering all the circumstances, the discovery in Papua has a peculiar interest for not only Australia and New Zealand, who should in the future be directly concerned with the guardianship of the Pacific, but.-also for the Admiralty. Germany, too, will keep a watchful eye on the new field, for she has big interests in New Guinea.