THE NAVAL BASE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 181, 30 July 1912, Page 5

THE NAVAL BASE.

i ■ ——— 'J CATERI_sG FOR THE CHINA , j SQUADRON. r i Brief reference was mado during the I course of a speech at the Auckland II Trades Hall by Sir Joseph Ward last -evening to iho position Auckland is to -I occupy as a naval base. That afternoon, i j remarked iSir Joseph, he had seen two •'warships steaming out of the harbour, i ] and the sight brought to mind the posil'tion Auckland was to occupy in regard Ito naval matters in the future. In Loni I don, when there was no recording angel -1 to make known what was happening, lib- had persistently and successfully ti sounded the nerd for such a policy in -the Pacific as would mean the transfer 1 of the naval base lo these waters, and 3 the result had been the selection of the s! harbour and city of Auckland as a fit 1 j and proper place for such a base. In il this connection there was one other imI i portant thing which the authorities in 3: this country should do. With a Brii tish squadron in the China Sea, a new ,- - market, would be opened for siH-h ,-! natural products as Now Zealand pro- . I iluoi-d. As a private member of the 11 House. In- would do everything in his ~; power to impress on those at the head -,!.>!' affair* that a line of steamers should, -, if necessary, bo subsidised to go East, . and -0 enable Now Zealand to compete .! in the purveyance of such things as the :; i China Squadron would require. From i, the £ s. d. point of view the matter i. (was one which would be well worth {serious consideration-