NAVAL POLICY

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 181, 26 April 1924, Page 4

NAVAL POLICY

VICE-ADMIRAL FIELD’S VIEWS DOMINIONS SHOULD EXCHANGE SHIPS AND MEN ADVICE TO NEW ZEALAND “The authorities no longer wish that the Dominions should not have their own navies. . . . The best thing New Zealand oan do is to go on maintaining as many ships as she possibly oan, and If, through prosperity, she Is able to maintain two or throe ships, it would be unwise to keep them all in the Dominion. Soffie of them should bo sent Home in order that officers and men may obtain greater experience with the Royal Navy.” The above were the views expressed by Sir Frederick L. Field K. 0.8., C.M.G., Vice-Admiral commanding the Special Service Squadron, in an interview with Press representatives on H.M.S. Hood on Thursday evening. It was very natural, said ViceAdmiral Field, that the people who found the money to pay for building ships should wish to see them, and havo no desire to send them away. The authorities at Home had previously said to the Dominions, “It Is no use you having a little fleet of your own. Your training will be incomplete, and when we carry out manoeuvres we will want you to take part in them,” The authorities, however, no longer objected to the Dominions having navies of their own. There should be no reason, however, why there should not be an exchange of ships from’time to time with the British Navy, in order that the personnel of Dominion ships might get greater experience. He would not advise New Zealand to go in for a separate fleet. If this course were followed, there would not bo so much chance of promotion for New Zealand as there would be if they joined the Royal Navy. A New Zealand boy had just as good a chance of promotion in the Royal Navy as had an English boy. The Australians, he knew, would welcome New Zealand boys at. their naval college. Supplementing his advice that the Dominion should not keep all her ships in New Zealand waters, Vice-Admiral Field said that sailors liked to see the world; they would not be sailors if they did not. If New Zealand had two or three ships, she would not be able to get sufficient officers to man the ships. There should, he considered, be an exchange of officers and ships between the Dominions and the Homeland. If New Zealand increased her naval personnel, it would 'oe better to send Home officers to go thrugh- gunnery and torpedo schools. Tho squadrons of the Royal Navy never went on a cruise without carrying out some war operations. They would never get that here. "Y 0 ? can never learn by reading,” remarked tho Admiral; “you must actually do it.” An Overwhelming Experience.

“AVe realised when we started the present cruise,” said Sir Frederick Field, “that it would be a very big thing; but nobodv could have realised the enthusiasm with which we have been welcomed. At Melbourne ana Sidney, where thero are special facilities for the public visiting the ports, hundreds of thousands of people had given them & most cordial welcome. The interest shown in the fleet had been proved by people coming as fair as 50 miles simply to see the vessels steam along the coast. The. people were bo hospitable in Australia, that it was simply one round of festivities after another. Our great regret is that we have not been able to see enough of the back country; one had no time. AVe though the people would be glad to see us; but tho welcome wo received and the enthusiasm which was displayed has been overwhelming, and a much bigger thing than we ever imagined.’* , Touching upon the entranoe of the fleet that "day to AVellington harbour, Vice-Admiral Field said: “There was just enough water to come tn, as in the narrow part of tho channel there is a Si-fathom patch.”. There were, he said very good facilities for a cruiser base at Auckland; . but .they would want to make provision for oil fuel, which was a most important factor with naval ships now.