NAVAL AFFAIRS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 234, 2 October 1937, Page 8

NAVAL AFFAIRS.

Whether Britain or Germany was victorious at the Battle of Jutland appears to be immaterial at this stage of naval affairs. The main doubt which arises from the cloud of controversy is whether the continued building of large battleships is desirable. Mr. Palmer states that Xew Zealanders have no right to question the amount Great Britain spends on l>attleships, but our interest in Imperial affairs does not appear to be resented at Home. It is quite usual for the head of a family to find, even when spending his own money on himseJf, that his dependents are equipped with a store of criticism and advice which he is often very pleased to accept. The family man with a handful of patterns fo.r his newsuit is frequently talked out of his own choice, notwithstanding his years of experience in his own requirements". Mr. Palmer's second argument that every major Power is building battleships is also weak. Those of us with a knowledge of foreign languages and with access to foreign newspapers know that much the same argument is put forward by foreign politicians. What the man in the international street cannot' understand is why the Powers are building larpe battleships when 1914-18 appeared to indicate their futility. Light cruisers, everyone agrees, are necessary, [and submarines, aircraft carriers and armed merchantmen, certainly, by the score—but aviation has brought something into existence which by virtue of its superior speed the Army and Xavy suspect they will be powerless to protect in time of stress. Modern youth openly claims that battleships are out of date, and classes them with the cavalry, picturesque, but old-fashioned. Unpalatable as it may be to us of pre-war times, steeped as we are in the magnificent traditions of the Xavy, it looks as though we niav have to bow to modernism. A generation is rising which may not only have to fight the next war, but may have to pay the cost of our present defence programme, and it is disturbing to know that the young modern feels that he would have less confidence in fiftv friendly battleships drawn up on the Waitemata than he would have in the knowledge that his family was occupying a dugout in the backyard with a dozen British aeroplanes flying overhead. This modern outlook is of special and vital importance to all countries whose shores are washed bv the Pacific Ocean. ELSIE BURTOX.