NAVAL BASE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1130, 18 May 1911, Page 5

NAVAL BASE.

CLAIMS OF AUCKLAND AND PICTON.

•(By .Telesraph.-SBecial Correspondent.)

■■''":. Auckland, May 17. "The matter is settled," said Mr. W. J. Napier, president of the Auckland branch of the 'Navy League, when questioned by a> "Herald reporter regarding the naval base and , the claims of Queen Charlotte So/ind put forward by tho. Mayor of Picton. "Auckland-is. the naval base in th 6 South Pacific for the Pacific Squadron of'the Royal Navy; and , this 6quadron now exists in a transitional stage. Auckland was, by virtue of an agreement between the Auckland Harbour Board and the Admiralty, the. naval base for New Zealand, Sydney being the headquarters of; tho Australian station, and the official residence of the naval Commander-in-Chief. When Australia determined to provide a navy of its own, controlle'd by the Australian Government,'and'to be attached to the British fleet in time of war, it'.was impossible for the British Navy to regain its headquarters in Sydney, because Sydney would be the headquarters of the Australian (local) fleet. Therefore, a .rearrangement was made, and the Admir.alty. decided to form a Pacific fleet, with headquarters at Hong-Kong, and its southern quarters necessarily at the only other equipped naval base in Australasian waters—Auckland. When, therefore, the Pacific fleet visits Australia, Auckland will be the headquarters and the chief naval' base. will alra be the base Of certain warships doing IncaJ duty on the Nett Zealand coast, and detached frcoi the main squadron." Mr. -Napier pointed out that the Mayor of Picton was under an entirely erroneous impression about the channel entrance to the harbour, as the "channel" to which he alludes is an enormous expanse of water as wide, as an ordinary harbour, and with a depth of water at the lowest spring tide 3in the regular approaches which would leave a very large margin under the bottoms of the lnrges't warships bnilfc, or projected. Such a thing ns in a fleet in the harbour" was impossible, as the Auckland harbour had thrpo exits. To show the futility of the action of the Mayor of Pioton, Mr. Nnpier quoted the following statement, made bv Sir, Joseph Ward in Parliament:—"The port of. Auckland, having been selected, nothing is to be gained by theoretically discussing other ports." The matter was referred to the Hon, G. Fowlds by a reporter, but the Minister stated that it was unnecessary to ?ay anything, as Auckland had been definitely fixed as the naval base.