LAUNCH OF THE AUSTRALIA

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1306, 8 December 1911, Page 6

LAUNCH OF THE AUSTRALIA

. . DREADNOUGHT CRUISER FOR TEE COMMONWEALTH. Sir Georgo Reid, High Commissioner for> the. Commonwealth, with Lady Reid, on Wednesday, October 25, attended the launch of the Australian Dreadnought cruiser Australia from tho yard of Messrs. Jplin Brown and Co., on tho Clyde. The vessel is 555 ft. long, and hn.s turbine engines of 43,000 horfe-powcr. Her armaments consists of eight 12m and sixteen 4in. guns, Tho christening ceremony was performed by Lady Ikiu, who said, "I name this ship Australia, and may the old flag and tho new flag ever fly together in peace and war." " ' At a luncheon which followed Lady Reid was presented with a ilimmmd i>onda'nt enclosed in a cusket, and in responding to the toast of the success of the cruiser, prosperity to tho Commonwealth, and tho health of Lady Reid. Sir Ueorco Rcitl remarkwl that when he left the Clyde sixty-six years and four months ago—for, being a truo Scotsman, he loft Scotland two months nfter he was bornit was n mere trickling, insiffiiifiea.nt stream, but now it was one of the wonders of tho world. Tho vast continent of Australia lay thousands of milns away from Ihe slorn'i contres of l.ho navnl and military forces of tho'world. Within her 1.-orders she had no hostile lieighboiirs, and no racial discord. She was absolutely removed from the necessity of universal military remco or an Australian fleet. Then why this fleet, this universal service? Because Australia was not nn unnatural child; because she recognised to the full her obligations as a member of tho British Empire. Ho lokod upon Amoriea and the.British Empire with their fleets and immeasurable resources behind thoin as the misjaojuriea of ococa.