The Auckland Star WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News. The Erhu and The Sun. For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1935. OUR OWN DEFENCES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 236, 5 October 1935, Page 8

The Auckland Star WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News. The Erhu and The Sun. For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1935. OUR OWN DEFENCES.

The events in Europe this week will have made many New Zealanders appreciate more keenly the implications of this Dominion’s membership of both the British Commonwealth and the League of Nations. Our privileges as a member of the Commonwealth have long been known, and in the war of 1914-18 we did not shirk the corresponding duty. Our membership of the League is of much more recent origin, and on the whole it has meant little to us. Necessarily, membership of the League has meant much more to Britain. As a member of the League Council Britain has taken the lead at Geneva in standing firm by thp Covenant and in making every possible endeavour peacefully to restrain Italy from aggression in Ethiopia. The Dominions have supported her with some misgivings, not because of weakened confidence in the wisdom of her policy, but because their distance from the cauldron of Europe gives them a sense of security which Britain cannot feel. Their sense of security is heightened by the belief, formerly justified, that the British Navy is always available and sufficiently strong to protect the whole Commonwealth. That belief is not easily justifiable to-day. One effect of Britain’s endeavour since 1918 to lead the world in arms limitation has been a very serious weakening of the Navy. The position existing to-day has been pointed out by an English writer in a reference to the King’s review of the fleet last July, on the occasion of the Royal Jubilee. His Majesty' saw 11 capital ships, 18 cruisers and 90 destroyers. The whole fleet w«as not there, but the total strength is not much greater: 15 capital ships, 51 cruisers and 161 destroyers. But in 1914 His Majesty, reviewing the Home Fleet a few weeks before the war, saw about 60 capital ships, 54 cruisers and 93 destroyers. That force comprised the Home Fleet alone. The reduction in the strength of the Navy since the war has been defended by the contention that if a collective security system could be established the need of large individual navies would be greatly diminished. But if the idea of collective security should be abandoned as impracticable in the light of experience, Britain’s need of a strong Navy would be at least as great as ever it has been in the past. It should also be pointed out that if, as seems probable, a large part of the Navy is to have a watching brief in the Mediterranean for a considerable time to come, it cannot be readily available if required in other waters. The Dominions, particularly Australia and New Zealand, will of course be affected by the new position. In both countries coastal defences are being strengthened, and more attention is being given to the development of air forces. But a great deal remains to be done, and —in New Zealand at least —the necessity for it should be more fully, appreciated by the public. We can help Britain most by helping ourselves. ■