ENTERTAINED ON HOOD.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 115, 16 May 1924, Page 7

ENTERTAINED ON HOOD.

MASTERS AITO OFFICERS. WELCOMED BY ADMIRAL. ] A party of forty masters and officers of the Merchant Service Guild, from the ships in port, was entertained on board H.M.s. Hood between 8.30 and 10 a.m. to-day. Included in the party were Mr. S. Reid, manager of the Portland Cement Company, and Captain J. McKenzie, of Messrs. Smith and Co. Com- ' mander G. Vivian, of the Hood, who ' was in charge of the party, showed the i guests over the navigation departments of the battleship, after which they met i Admiral Field, and were welcomed to : the admiral's quarters aa representa- ; tives of the mercantile marine. In his remarks the admiral dwelt i upon the co-operation existing between the men of the Navy and the mercantile < marine, stating that this was a vital factor in the late war. He emphasised the importance of the remarkable advances that had been made in navigation in recent years, two of the most ' valuable of which were on the Hood, ; namely, the -wireless direction finder and the gyroscopic compass. These were anions the latest contrivances for safe navigation. The admiral also spoke of the Leader cable, by which means a vessel could enter any port in a dense fog and navigate the channel in safety up to the berthage. without employing any observations whatever. A valuable addition to the navigation, equipment of a ship at sea wfls pointed out by Admiral Field, by which the explosion of a small bomb could cause sound to ' penetrate to the bottom of the ocean . and rebound* enabling the navigator to J ascertain the position of his ship, within ! a margin of twelve miles of error. On behalf of the party, which was headed by Captain F. Savage, vice-1 president of the Guild, in the absence of the president (Captain T. Henderson). Captain M. ClifTe thanked the Admiral for his courtesy, and was ably supported by appreciative remarks from Captain J. Smith. Before leaving the ship the party, including Commander G. Vivian, was photographed on the Admiral's deck.