The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 1913. H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 101, 29 April 1913, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 1913. H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND.

9 For the muse that lacks aatitttme*, For the icrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, Ami the food that toe con, do,

The welcome that greeted our battleeship to-day when it steamed slowly up the Waitemata was surely enthusiastic enough to satisfy the most ardent patriots and the most fervid Imperialists amongst ue. The city and the harbour looked their boat, the weather, in apite of recent gloomy indications, was everytliing that could be desired, and the formal part of the proceedings was sufficiently impressive to be well worthy of the occasion- That it was a great occasion, must have been borne in upon even the most cynical and sceptical of the many thousands of onlookers. There is something infectious and inspiring in the ■enthusiasm of a great crowd, and it w-.us natural that patriotic fervour should be the all-pervading sentiment of the hour. For this monster warship, by far the largest and mo3t powerful and moat modern ironclad that has visited these waters, ie New Zealand's own. She was offered by us as a free gift to England; she was built and paid for wkh our money; and so she represents to us something more than the might and majesty of England and the overwhelming strength of that naval supremacy which k still the wonder of the world. The Xew Zealand typifies our loyalty to the Mother Land, and our fidelity to the Empire; but she stands for more than this. She incarnates the youthful, but rapidly-develop-ing, patriotism of the Dominion, the devotion to our own country, which renders it worthy in our eyes oi any effort or any sacrifice .that we can make to guard it from our own or England's foes. Such perils as need Dreadnoughts to ward them off are. happily, still far distant from these peaceful shores. But none the less, the knowledge that some day it may fall to .the lot of young New Zealanders to fight for their own flag, as well as for England, should be a great inspiration to us all; and it is because the love of our own country, as well as our loyaHy to England,' is strong in our hearts to-day that we offer the Xew Zealand so warm and heartfelt a

greeting. There are, as we arc well aware, many who still hold that the offer of a Dreadnought to England four years ago was at best premature "jingoism." even if no worse motive could be found for the proposal. We, on the other hand, have always maintained that Sir Joseph Ward, when he made his famous suggestion, displayed the true insight of a statesman, and-that, in inducing us to shoulder this heavy responsibility, he did memorable work for tbe Dominion and the Empire. For no incident in the whole range of our Imperial history reveals more clearly the indissoluble character of the tie that binds England to her oversea, dependen-

cies. And certainly no event of recent years has conveyed to the imagination of the whole world so forcible an impression of tbe solidarity of our Empire and the potency of that sense of racial and national kinship which permeates its every part. The offer of sympathy and help from which our battleship sprang wai no arrogant challenge to rival* or

I foes; ibut it told the world that m a struggle for the control of the seas or the I maintenance of her Imperial sway, England would never again need to depend upon her own unaided strength. Fast in the train- of our Dreadnought offer came protestations of loyalty and assurances of help from every one of the gTeat self-governing colonies. The New Zealand is the forerunner of all the naTiea and naval contingents that the oversea Dominions are now constructing or offering to supply. And we may well take an honest pride in the thought that it was our offer to provide a first-class battleship for 'England's Navy that inaugurated this great Imperial movement, and taught all other nations the lesson that they might have learned twelve years ago in the great crisis of the South African war. that England docs not stand alono.

The people of 'Auckland will have ample opportunity during the next fortnight of observing for themselves the uvcust striking features of this tremendous warship. But it is very difficult for the lay mind to grasp the significance of the facts and figures which reveal the enormous potentialities of the New Zea4and as a fighting machine. To aay that our great battle-cruiser ie the. largest, the meet heavily armed, the fastest, and the most up-to-date warship ever seen on this side of the world may perhaps help the imagination to graep the truth. Nearly 600 feet long, drawing over 30 feet, with a displacement of over 10,000 tons, driven by engines of 44,000 horee-power at a speed of 27 knots or over 31 milets an hour, the New Zealand in mere Bize far outclasses the laTgeet merchant vessels that have ever visited these watere. But w4th her defensive

and offensive equipment a steel belt, 4 to eight inches thick, an arroa-me-irt of eight 12-inch guns, sixteen 4-inch guns, ajid two iorpedo-ttrbes. the Xew Zealand is far more than an ordinary large warship. Her guns can lire a broadside equal to nearly three tons weight of steel, and they can throw an 8501b. projectile to an effective distance of 15 miles and over a total range of 25 milos. But statistics of this kind arc perhaps calculated rather to stupefy than to stimulate the average intelligence, and the majority of people will be quite content to know that the Xew Zealand ranks among the most powerful and efficient fighting units in existence, and that few battleships could more worthily represent England's naval strength cither to friends or foes. But, fortunately, her mission amongst us is one of peace, and there is no shade of apprehension to cloud our -welcome, and no rumour of coming peril to mar the happiness ol this auspicious occasion. We trust that the eight hundred men and officers •whom the New Zcdand ban brought here will lind their stay amongst us a pleasant and a memorahle vine; and 'we caji be sure at least of this, that il cordial hospitality and a sincere ccslre to do honour to King, and Flag, and Empire can serve our purpose, the visit of the New Zealand to Auckland will prove to citizens, as well as to the officers and crew, an unbroken and unqualified success.