RECONSTRUCTING THE NAVY

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21966, 15 December 1936, Page 12

RECONSTRUCTING THE NAVY

— * — SIR SAMUEL HOARE’S STATEMENT TWO NEW BATTLESHIPS TO BE LAID DOWN (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, November 21, “It is now the moment for us in England to show dictatorship abroad the power which a constitutional people in this country, and in tho Empire, can wield when they are determined so to do.” With these words Lord Lloyd, president of the Navy League, expressed a thought that ran through the minds oif the various speakers at the Nelson Day dinner last evening. The necessity for preparation in case of Rational emergency or war was fully emphasised. Sir Samuel Hoare, First Lord of the Admiralty, gave a glowing account of the efficiency of the navy and the plans for a reserve for older citizens. A harsher and somewhat alarming note was sounded by Lord Cork and Orrery, who exposed with a ruthless hand the deficiencies of the British mercantile marine. At tho same time Lord Cork paid a graceful tribute to New Zealand. After referring to the lamentable state of mercantile shipping, he said that the shipping industry was not to blame. It had fought a losing battle against the heavy subsidies of foreign governments. It was unfair to say that the British Government was doing nothing, he added with biting sarcasm. It had referred the matter to a committee. (Laughter.) “Btit.” ho went on. “that magnificent Dominion, New Zealand, has not waited for the report of the committee. It has already proceeded to tackle this question by passing legislation. I have the greatest respect for that Dominion which, as you will remember, declared only recently: ‘When Great Britain is at war. New Zealand is at war.’ ” In the applause that followed there were at least, two men who smiled with appreciation, Lord Bledisloo and Mr W. J. Jordan (High Commissioner). They were present with Lady Blcdislot and Mrs Jordan. Mention of New Zealand was also made by Lord Lloyd, when he read messages from tho Navy League branches of Taranaki and Hawke’s Bay. The Navy’s Efficiency Sir Samuel Hoare referred to tho noble work achieved by the navy at Spanish ports assisting refugees. He commended Mr Winston Churchill for his recent statement that the British navy was never more efficient than today. His own visits to tho naval stations during the last few weeks had confirmed that view, and when he spoke of naval efficiency he included the officers and men and women in the dockyards, who resented any attempt at disturbing or subversive propaganda from outside. Referring to the programme of naval reconstruction. Sir Samuel said that men and boys of the right stamp were joining in very satisfactory numbers. Whatever foolish people might say the right spirit was animating the nation. To keep the older men in touch with the navy a new reserve was to be started and older men were to be invited to join. Yachtsmen who wished to be earmarked for training as executive officers in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in the event of war would be enrolled, and this force would be known as tho Royal Naval Volunteer Supplementary Reserve. Membership would involve no actual training in peace time, nor would members wear uniforms. On being called up they would be classified with sub-lieutenants of the regular reserve and would be eligible for promotion and grant of acting higher rank. The age limit for entry would be 18 to 3D inclusive. “Our programme of naval reconstruction,” Sir Samuel continued, “is proceeding not unsatisfactorily.” In a few weeks the first new battleship for many years would bo laid down. Tho Admiralty had come to the conclusion that if other countries laid down these great ships with their heavy armaments and their highly developed armour, it was essential that Britain and the Empire should have ships no less powerful. Accordingly immense trouble had been taken in recent years to ensure that the designs for the new battleships should take into account the experience of the war, the lessons of experiment, and the developments of science. In the two new battleships there would be embodied the most meticulous results of study by experts and scientists and the lessons of experience in the fleet itself • New Naval Chapter These two new ships were the beginning of a new chapter, and the first step in the reconstruction of the new fleet. He believed that it would give great satisfaction to the whole Navy, to the country, and to the Empire that the King had decided that the new battleships should bear the names of King George V. and the Prince ot Wales. There had always been a tradition in the Navy that ships of war were not named after a recently deceased sovereign, but if ever there was a case for breaking tradition there was one to-day. King George stood pre-eminent as the “Sailor King.” It would be altogether unfortunate if his name and his great record with the Navy had not been perpetuated in an appropriate manner. The question might be asked: Why not call the other battleship “King Edward VIII?” Sir Samuel considered that it was also appropriate that the Admiralty should

perpetuate the period during which the Prince of Wales was an officer in the Navy and travelled from one part of the Empire to another, and made innumerable friends in the Navy. “Let these names and the great records that they commemorate be an inspiration to all of us who are concerned in the building of the new fleet, to the officers and the men who will serve in it, and to you who arc determined to throw all the weight of your influence behind a navy strong enough to ensure the highways of the ocean and to uphold the peaceful and humane traditions of the British Commonwealth of Nations,” Sir Samuel concluded.

Sir Cyril Devcrill, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, said that there were some people who declared there was no necessity for an army in modern war. He did not share that opinion and there was not a single great power in the world who believed in that theory. Britain’s interests had always been for peace, ho continued, but events had shown that the role of peacemaker was small, unless it had strength to defend itself. Referring to war in the future, he said that with the new conditions there would be no time for preparations when war broke out, as there had been in the past. Attack might come from the air before there had been a declaration of war, and invasion by mechanised arfnics might follow. Britain should learn from the Italian campaign in Abyssinia what could be done by modern warfare methods, and realise that it was absolutely essential that the navy and the air force should have the co-operation of tho regular army and the territorials. She should have an efficient field force to protect her interests wherever they might be threatened.

Lord Cork and Orrery, in his plea for a stronger Mercantile Marine, said that more was required than sentiment and admiration. A silent vow should bo made to see that it got fair play. Recent reports had stated that there were fewer ships laid up to-day than for years; but the other side to the picture was that Britain to-day had fewer ships than in 1914. It was also said that there were fewer unemployed seamen, but there were 11,000 fewer seamen in the merchant navy to-day than in 1914, when Britain found that she had neither enough ships nor men for her needs. Drop in Ownership Whereas in 1014 Britain owned 42 per cent, of the shipping of tho world, she now owned 27 per cent. Last year British ships had decreased by 107, but foreign ships had increased by 233. When public-spirited men tried to bring homo the danger they were met by the answer that if ever Britain had to go to war again the increase in foreign ships would make up for the decerea.se in British ships. “We do not want to be dependent upon foreign ships for our food.” Lord Cork declared. New Zealand, he continued, had not waited for a Government report, but had acted by passing legislation. It was not too late to save the situation now. To help British shipping would cost £21,000.000 annually, if assistance were to be given to the same extent as foreign governments aided their merchant shipping. It was little enough compared with the figures being spent on rearmament, and it was no good rearming a nation unless it could be supplied wtih food. “The strongest navy in the world could not keep this country going for many weeks unless we ensure a steady food supply. Tho navy is founded upon a strong mercantile marine.” Mr Edmund Watts, a noted English shipowner, said that the British mercantile marine was losing every day one of the most bitter fights ever waged on the sea. In case of war Britain had a deficiency of 700 ships that would be required to maintain her food supply. The question was so vital to the ration that he considered the mercantile marine should have a Ministry of- its own.