OPEN SEA LANES.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 55, 5 March 1921, Page 13

OPEN SEA LANES.

EMPr&E'S O3TE SA^EGVAXD. LORE JKU'.TCPE'S VFARXOTG. (Bγ VeiegzTsc —?r»sa Asooatloii.) Friday ia -3- apme" was tendered by the djnterCUTT branch .?f the Navy League :o the C-ovsmor-Generai to-night. Lori Jefficw h<? was placed in rather a ,jjjScu;- poeif.cra. because it was not jaitp pr-per for the Governor-General -jf th* .men to express his views on martyr- inder consideration by nhe Government, i.'ne of th-e subjects which xi= -iniie' consideration by eh-» New Zealand ■>••■■: nf-.- M.i the Home i>ovprnx: j ~"- n<l whu'h would -shortly ■oaw fcwi'r' ■ ■' Imperial Conference waa that of :t j r.sval strengnh of the Empir?- T-"-: •■<• van - , on Co >ay: — '•A: 1 . '- . ""•■ - *ia: :he Emp.r» will realise -. :'" _ .ari : -.a: UTiless iw »ea com-anrW-a" ■■n* ar° »«cure in war they 1- *"■•": -hut up shop in the British Sknpir- _ 7"-. J Xi-.-y Leaguea of the British -—d r= must endeavour to (jet into th* of :he y-oune people that the v !■' ■' c a:?i:7 of the Empire lies in ita =ea ■--m-ir.:.-a-;oTi>. Tt L-s -rait* imjjnssib''' fir the empire ;o exist w;thoat cha" ; ar-?ty \oa ?e<? arguments in the pr=-.- 1- r.i whether the capital =hip is ■•vh**rhi , r -übmarinea and aircraft 2r v jiiriT -0 knock out the surface jhips. W happen*. your sea ronumin 10a;:ons have got to be secured and your -=ea communications, it is jiist 3..- 'veil to remember, for i jr=ar rnanv year= to wrae. ari» 'jc-rad to be carried on by -hips tha" ioat upon the ;ca. The metiod which these ships hay» to be defended is one for the oonsideration of experts. I havo my own ideas on the rabject. but it is not for mc to state them in the position I now oocupv. But »hatev»r the method of defence it has to be one which will combat any menace with which it is likely to he brought into contact. If you see any nation building bis -apitai ships or bia capital cruisers I think it will occur to you that it :s difficult to combat a menace of uiat sort unless you have vessels of the ame class to tackle it with "*