OUR DEFENCES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 497, 3 May 1909, Page 4

OUR DEFENCES.

SEVERE CRITICISM. "AN AMAZING POSITION." Ibt r*r.KOitArc.—specui. couitr.st , oNDEin.l Auokland, May 1. Tho "Herald" this morning renews its attack on tho defences undor tho heading of "A Now Zoalander's Homo," and proceeds to dcscriba what it calls an amazing position. It says: Residents of Auckland are well aware that there aro forts guarding tho entranoe to Auckland harbour. Thoy aro also awaro that our garrison artillery, comprising three companies, considering the httlo actual target practice they, get, aro most excellent marksmen, but that is about tho extent of-tho public knowlcdgo. Though prisoners aro allowed to work, in our forts (and should one of them so desire ho could upon his releaso givo every information w? ur | lar ' lOUl ' defences to foreign Powers), though a foreigner has means of gaining to the forts by becoming naturalised and joining ono of our garrison artillery corps, the general publio has been kept m profound ignorance as to tho armament of our forts. If the Government had seen that tho guns placed thero wero of the most modern typo, if it had mounted sufficient guns to render the forts impregnable against any attack which might reasonably be expected, a 5 • i that no criminals wero admitted, instead of plaoing them there, andthat no artilleryman, except of British birth, should enter, then, and then only, could the Government. Lave neon justified in keeping the armament of our forts exclusively, a secret. But it has done none or these things, and by ordering secrecy has led the publio into a false sense of security. .Such, however, :is the armament of tlio three forts , 'guarding ,, ,tW entrance to Auckland -Harbour that the information regarding it has now become more or lesd'public,, and a more, amazing state of affaire could not be readily imagined. It consists in short of four eight-inch guns, with a rango of about five miles, four sis-inch guns, a tow; quiokfirerß, and two new sixinch mark vii. guns, which aro now being mounted—not the armament of ; an-ordinary cruiser, let alone a Dreadnought, : which, with a broadside of eight twelve-inch guns, each firing a shell a minute at a range of 15 miles,.could blow, our forts to pieces. The best thing that could bo done should such a vessel appear on tho scene would bo to withdraw tho men from the forts and leave tho .warship,a, freo field, as it would simply bo murder to keep men there: :• Taking the four Bin. guns which, because they aro Bin. guns, appeal to the man in tho street as tho most formidable weapon, it is interesting, though not comforting, to learn that the shells from those guns could not penetrate the armoiir of any armoured cruiser in the Pacific even half tho' rango which they are said to possess. Tho inquirer has hot to go far for an explanation. l, ■ It is that those-guns aro some 20 or 25 years, old, and that when they wero east tho shells, from them had only to deal with wrought iron, whereas at the pereont day warships are clad in cemented steol. The samo observations, though only to a greater extent, apply to the six-mch guns, whicharo of tho same date. Tho actual penetration of .those six-irich for instance, at a range of 1000 yards is only two inches of Krupp cemented steel/which -means : that' there is no armoured eruiser of a, modern type at: preterit' aflpat; which could . not . with impunity anchor alongside Forts. Takapuna and tho Bastion, and withstand -any shell fire which might; be ' directed without sustaining any material damage so far as the vessel's armour was concerned. '. To givo an indication of tho probablo strength of tiny raiding oruiser likely to visit Auckland, let lis take, the case of a foreign warship which is.at present stationed in the Pacific. Tho armour of this vessel would be absolutely safe from any. fire which might be directed from tho forts here even at tho most, medejate',, range. Her gun power consists" giins-.of .tho-latest-pat-tern, and four nine-inch: guns,; besides 12 16-pounder quickfirers. As a matter. of fact the .armament; of this sole\ cruiser ismoro than a match' for tho combined field and garrison artillery of the wholo of New Zealand. How this comes about majf be readily seen from the followinglis'tof reported armaments of the southern forts of the Dominion: Wellington i. Two eight-inoh guns, two sixinch guns, two six-pounders, and two 12pounders. •' ■ : . i, f Lytteltoii: One eight-inch, two sik-inoh, and two six-pounders. Dunodin: Two -six-inch, two six-pounder, two sixty-four-jiounder rifled muzzle-loaders, and two seven-inoh rifled muzzle-loaders. ; In regard to Wellington, it is only just to add that it is understood that a few new six-mch V maA vii guns are now being mounted'.'there,, hut even .taking- this into consideration-, it is doubtful. whether a. inftro pitiful story could bo told about the-defences if any Country than that which concerns tho i Dominion of Now Zealand. From tho list Given it will be seen thdt ,tho port of Auckland. while, absolutely V defenceloss iteolf, is yet the best' J'fortified" port in the Dfiminion,; whilp Dunedin, with its two six-inchers, two six-pounders, and its muzzle-loaders, is absolutely the worst. ~ : ' - But this not all. The publio would at least expect' the . guns , mounted in our _ forts .to be : in ' first-class order, but it is rumoured they : aro not;. Many of them are suffering from wear,. and their ' "effectiveness, I ''' such as' it is, has t thus considerably impaired. Furthermore, it is whispered that all tho big-gun ammunition at present in Auckland could readily be blown oft in a week. How the other forts in tho Dominion are. supplied in this respect is liot known; but it is reported that they are no better off. As to'the searchlights, which play so great o part in harbour defenco, they aro of tho most inadequate description; the dynamo of one of,.them, as a.matter of fact, being operated by an obsolete oil engine, which breaks down, continually, arid tlio same, it is believed, as regards searchlights, applies to a moro or less extent' to every fort in tho Dominion. Quito as important as tho need for proper armament is a sufficient number i of. well-trained men to man tho forts. There ' are, however, only enough garrison artillerymen in New Zealand at tlio/present timo to lna ? the forts for a few consc-cutivo .hourd, and after they had become reduced or exhausted' iri the wear' aud tear of tlio fight . there would be rio one left but absolutely un- ' trained mon to tako their places, with what result is obvious. Withatmy and yet inefficient force,with only eighteen field pieoes ani a dozen maxims,;in tlie country, and'with harmless forts', oitizens may well wonder viiat the Government has been doing that it should havo left the country in such a defenceless state; but unfortunately the whole of tho lamentable story has not yet. beon told. Wo are'without an army service corps—that is, the corps which looks after the-provisiottna of the troops in time of war. Tho only representatives of an army service corps in New Zealand are tho assistant quartermastergenerals, one in each of the four centres, but otherwiso the corps aptly described as the most/vital sinew of tho army, " for as the Iron Duko said: "An army fights upon ita stomach," is absolutely non-oxistent. Stern Parent:; "Tommy, you are,not to play with that Smith boy any more; ho looks a bad little boy." Young Hopeful: "6h, daddj;, lie isn't, he's a good little boy. He's been in a reformatory school twice, .and each time no's been lot out for his good conduct," At Preston Polico Court recently, a diluiirutivo bov of eleven years was remanded for a week, he not being under proper guardianship. Tho Cllief-Constablo informed the Court that prisoner was a leader of a gang of boy thieves, who went about robbing lottor. and pillar botes in different parts of the town. On tho previous Sunday alone tho prisoner obtained in this manner cheques, postal orders and other documents, amounting to £1400, aud ho liad given tlio postal authorities a great amount of trouble. On another occasion ho obtained over £60, but luckily all had boen recovered. Detective Woodacro stated tho boy had a remarkably small hand and thin arm, which he could thrust through apertures in boices and abstract tlio contents. Tho prisoner hid his .plunder in underneath his school and in crevices in different parts of the town. Although so young, tho prisonor was lutely Bbyohd" oonti'ol, aud frequented tho .nnmnany of thiavaat