CRUISE OF THE NEW ZEALAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 16, 19 January 1914, Page 6

CRUISE OF THE NEW ZEALAND.

ROtTND THE WORLD IK TEN MONTHS. THE KING'S CONGRATULATIONS. (From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, December 13. The battle-cruiser New Zealand arrived in Plymouth Sound last Monday oh the conclusion of a cruise tha.t is unprecedented for a ship of her class. She sailed from. Portsmouth on February 6 this year, and has thus come back in two days over ten months, after steaming more" than 45,000 miles. Captain Lionel Halsey, who commanded the New Zealand' oh the cruise, received on his arrival the following message from His Majesty the King:— 'M offer you, your officers, and ship's company a hearty welcome on your safe return home after a most successful 'cruise, during which you have visited so many parts of the Empire. I have followed your cruise with the greatest interest. "GEORGE." The only public welcome of the ship was from the terrace of the winter residence of the Earl of Mount Edgecumbe, which overlooks the entrance to the" harbour. There the boye of the industrial training ship "Mount Edgeciunbe" were drawn up, and Lady Ernestine Edgecumbe, Viscount Valletort, and Colonel thp Hon. C. E. Edgecumbe were also present. Viscount Valletort, addressing the boys, said they would be glad to be the first to welcome home Captain Halsey from his wonderful voyage of 40,000 miles, during which the British flag had been welcomed wherever, his ship touched, for Captain Halsey was formerly chairman of the Mount Edgpc.umbe. ship's committee, and had never forgotten them during the cruised iV tie New Zealand passed, the boys saluted, hoisted the signal "Welcome Home," and cheered lustily. The cruiser 'acknowledged with her answering pennant. The boys' band played "Auld Lang Syne," and the New Zealand's band responded with "Home. Sweet Home." while the cruiser made the signal, "Thank you." Captain Halsey landed and reported himself to Admiral Sir George Egorton, commanding Plymouth Naval Station, who gave him a cordial welcome. The New Zealand-will join the Home Fleet at an early date. A NICE LITTLE COAL BILL. During her voyage of about ten months the vessel covered a distance of 45,319.5 miles, and was visited- by 578,937 persons. Since leaving Portsmouth until her return to Englapd the ship dropped anchor in fifty'harbours. In the course of the cruise each propeller-shaft has made £f2,OQO,OPQ revolutions, thus making a total for the four shafts of 128,-. 000,000 revolutions. The exact amount of coal burnt is. not known, but assuming that it takes two-thirds of a ton to drive the ship one mile—a fair rate perhaps—this would represent a tofcal con? Butnption of about 30,000 tons for the whole cruise: A nice little coal bill! So far as is known the New Zealand's voyage was devoid of any mishap to either ship or crew. There w.erje, it is stated, a few desertions at various ports,,but not more than the authorities anticipated.

■ At Bermuda, owing to the strength of her wireless instellatipn, thp New. .Zealand was incideijtaiiy tSe means of ol> taining first news of ttie fire whi;?h broke oufc on board the Spanish steamier Balm»s. This, steamer was ultimately escorted into Bermuda by the Gunard liner Pannonia, which had takeii off her passengers. Had occasion arisen, assistance would hare been rendered by .the battle-cruiser. During the ship's stay at Halifax the captain and another party of officers were the guests for two daya of tbe Duke of Connaught at Government House, Ottawa. The chip's departure from Halifax was delayed for a couple of days owing to the non-arrival of a bartered collier. Arrangements were then- made for utilising the dockyard store of coal, and sufficient was taken on board to enable the New Zealand to compass the 2.500-inilc run toTlyinputh. THE VTSIBiaS SYMBOL OF BrtITISH UNITY. - Toucliing the New Zealand'ii return to the Old Country, the "Tones," after quoting a portion of the stirring addrees presented to the tiliip by the Ngatia-pa tribe, remarks: — "That address, with ate many vivid phrases, returns to mind irresistibly how, and it is natural to wish that England had some Maor'e of her own to express her feelings without aelfconeciousness in such another flow of picturesque" words. For the New Zealand comes back- to.us with even fuller significance than "when she ■went, as the ctign and promise of a new era in Imperial affairs. If her voyage be regarded merely ac a diplomatic and : 'diplomatic' is not a word tiat justly expresses the purpose of a mission ibetweeu kindred- peoples in an Empire St-ce—its value even in that limited sense ,hae been extremely great. No one returns from travel in the Empire without a consciousness of the importance of bringing the democracies as well as the Governments .of the Empire into closer touch. Every tour arranged for that purpose, whether official o- unofficial, is something to the good for all; and not one delegate,in the jTeceht Parliamentary mission, for' inetauee, but 'has testified .to the yalue of hie journey, and the public spirit of thor'e who brought it about. The gTeat i battle-cruiser hae served the same purpoee as no other form of embassy, except a vdsit from the Kirjg hianself or hie British Siinistera, "could do with «mai effect. She h the visible symbol of British unity and of the power on which it rests; and multitudes of those wh o saw 'her must -have felt even more clearly than the Ngatiapa Maoris what the Maori eloquence co picturesquely expressed." .

But, .the "Tamea" urges, "the voyage of the ►New Zealand is, , of courise, not to be interpreted in a merely diplomatic eenee. An discussion of the naval question proceeds, it becomee more generally ppeed tbat the naval organisation of I*e lanpire.. if it is a t once to- be efhoent and to embody the -energiee o{ all the peoplee dependent upon it, must combine jn .one manner or another the Qf - J OO3I with the jqmt maintenance of an i m, f T f ' I ? ttle I,eet - • • Meanwhile New Zealand has set to work on both branches of the Empire's naval task by contrabutin-r Uiie.splendid batfcle-cruieer to the Royal >a>-y in Home waters,-and arranging . . . to train New Zealanders for aavai eeryp in N ew Zealand-owned chap The bill embodying ti>i S .policy passed it* third reading by a" large that lt win fe in operation at S S' Vata «* * e P°rtß of i Jt reaoh EnJUd, it ■ ompoßsible to estimate Uie real,

pmport of come of the —CnifJii'liT"^|i'..l heve been need in the Howi{ tut w ' cannot refrain from onr regret that reflections upon *lw nnioi ' iaith of the Admiralty \AmU hiV found any place in deliverir from the Government front beeh. Tk* ■ visit to England of Mr: AUen .. " should'have been a complete dieso'lven of inisunderstandinge regtrdme tH» . agreement of 1909." It »'a-»reat; appointment that language appears to have been oieed which i?Jgge*te.thit mt wn'deratehding' etill exists." feppHr though Ministers may sometimes mii.' '' apprehend eatfh others ee'ntimente th. ' ' peoples of Great Britain .and NewW s land do not. Ca-ptaiu Hafeey and hii officers, we do not doubt, can teetifv t!• ~ ihat." ■"■• ' • te ~ The Mayor of Deyonport" i^t ei j t i,2 — ; battle-enriser Kew ZealandWWedni - day to present to the slifp, qi b& al f £ ■the Vancouver branch, of the•■Ntfj' , League, a handeome silver Bilyer 'ik » : -- memento of the visit pail to Y)ineon v L! during the New Zoakude :Einpire t,#