MEN FOR THE NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1939, 23 December 1913, Page 4

MEN FOR THE NAVY.

I ' The decision of the Government totrain .a limited number of men for ; naval service either in ships patrolling the coasts of the Dominion or in British ships in more distant seas ; will shortly be given effect to, the training ship Philomel being now stationed in_ these waters. New Zealand is essentially a very junior partner in the naval affairs of the Empire, and has other matters in hand which must command a major share of its attention. This was frankly recognised by the Government when it laid its naval defence proposals before Parliament during the past session, and it was clearly laic) down that whatever direction local efforts in the department of naval defence might take, there must be no attempt to challenge tho absolute, supremacy of the British Admiralty authorities. .At the, same time, .within our limitations, there is a certain amount that can he done in the.;, way oi local effort to assist in maintaining the strength of the .British.;' Navy. ■ In this category ,probably nothing more'practical can be:devised than to devote a. portion, even though it be a small portion, of'our manhood, to naval service. The. present .proposal is to utilise H.M.S. Philomel as a training ship. She lias -"accommodation for about eighty recruits for training, and probably this will define the limits of_ the new departure for the time being. The conditions of training have, not yet been laid clown, but. t-hoy will be patterned to a great extent upon those which obtain in the Imperial Navy and in the Australian Squadron. Later oil a special training ship for boys, destined for naval scrvicc, may bo provided, and. apart.from the training of men for thc_ lower- deck, it is proposed to train a small number of New Zealand. naval cadets in England and at the. Australian Naval College. It cannot be pretended that New Zealand's of men and officers' will materially reduce the problem of manning the ships of the Imperial Navy, but it will be a real assistance as far as it. goes, and ' there arc other aspects of the move which New Zealand is making which far- exceed ■ ■ in importance' the material value of her contribution of men. It is quite right that New Zealand, as a small partner in the Empire, should be content to accept the protection against the whole outside world which the British Navy (apart- from any local responsibilities in the way of coastand commerce defence that may devolve, upon us) a certain stigma attaches to the attitude of those who are content to pay for that protection only in money. The. sheltering protection of the Imperial Navy is vital to our existence as a small and growing nation and a unit of the Empire, and we should bo prepared .to give freely of our best in return for that protection, subject always to tho contribution being in proportion to our means and to the other claims upon our resources which we are called upon to meet. The call for New Zealand recruits for tho Navy is an invitation not only to unloose our purse-strings. ; but to furnish personal labour and devotion in the same good cause. Peopled as it is by a robust and virile population there is no reason to fear that the Dominion will be slow to resjiond to the call. It is plain enough that the offer of personal service will do far more to strengthen and cement the ties that bind us to ouv kinsfolk overseas than any-possible gifts of ships or money. Apart from all the blatant follies of jingoism, naval prestige and tradition arc inseparably associated with the spirit which upholds the Empire, and these things will acquire a, new meaning and force in the hearts of New Zeaianders when they know that their own Dominion has added its quota to those who man the ships of the Imperial Navy, prepared to do -their part in peacc or, should the need- arises in war.