AUSTRALIA'S NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 777, 29 March 1910, Page 7

AUSTRALIA'S NAVY.

THE DESTROYERS. .'..■• - - Adelaide, March 28. Sixty-five men of the Australian Naval Brigade Jfcive sailed to bring out the destroyers for the Australian unit of the British fleet. "THE FineTBORN" LAUNCHED. OTHERS ALMOST READY/ From the banks of the Clyde was launched recently the first unit of Australia's Navy—a small vessel, for a big continent, chi istened, by the wife of the Prime Minister of England, the.Parramatta. The incident of launching, taken out. of its bearings, was to a place, whore numerous giant liners and battleships have first dipped their keels into water, almost a trivial affair.. The destroyer Parramatta could be stowed away in a bold of the Lusitania," which was launched on this'-river,.'not, ; so'-long ago! One.was not so much impressed with the concrete fact of the day as with its meaning. The significance was not in the'size of the ship, but in the 'rough island story" it recalled, which, marred no doubt by mistakes, misdemeanours, and tragic blunders, is still with all its blemishes the romance of the world.

.The Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited, of' Govan, the builders of the Parramatta, also Constructed..; the, largest -" armoured cruiser in the wprld, 'the Indomitable/ which has a tonnage' of about 18,000, while-the .vessel for Australian waters only displaces about-.900 tons; - A great crowd gathered ; outside the Shipyard-gates to watch the arrival of Mrs. Asbuith, who has :been the guest of Sir John Stirling Maxwell. In the neighbourhood of the < Parramatta. there was a much; larger throng. The .banks of the river,'too, were lined with people. Quite a .number of Australians resident m Glasgow were present in the yard, n and the Parramatta' was flying j the flag of the Australian wealth. ..-•■■

Accompanying Mrs. Asquith to the dais at the bow of. the vessel;were Sir John Stirling Maxwell:and Lady MaxweU, the Lord Provost of Glasgow, Rear Admiral Bearcroft, Mr. Alexander waoio (chairman of the Fairfield Company), Professor Biles (of Glasgow University), who superintended .the construction,. Captain E. Muirhead Colline, R.N., representative of Australia in London, and the Hon. A. A. Kirkpatrick, AgentrGeneral for'Sonth Australia. ...

When Mrs. Asquith had broken a bottle of Australian wine across the bows of. the warship, ; she christened her, saying: '

"First/born of the.. Commonwealth Aavy, I\naine you Parramatta. God bless you, and those who sail in you! And may you uphold the glorious -tradition of the British Navy, in the Dominion overseas." . :;."'. ::,.

•"A few seconds later, ..to the accompaniment of- cheers, the , Parramatta moved down the ways into the waters of the Clyde. After being; fitted, she will proceed to Australia under her own steam, a crew from that colony having been engaged, to man her. Three cheers were given for Mrs. Asquith when the ceremony concluded,: and the guests subsequently adjourned to the boardroom at the offices, where' luncheon was served. Captain Collins, at the luncheon, said the event of the day was important, as it mark--ed the commencement of a definite colonial and, he might say, Imperial naval polioy. England, that had under Free-trade built up an enormous oversea trade, and become dependent; on supplies of. food from abroad, had; from the inevitable necessity, of her situation to'maintain an all powerful navy. It would be remembered to the credit of the present Liberal Government that"they, in Mr. Haldane's conception of an Imperial General Staff; in the Naval Conference, had helped 1 them to pass from an era of talk to an era of action that would develop and consolidate the defences of'the Empire.