THE HON. COLONEL WHITMORE ON THE DEFENCE OF NEW ZEALAND PORTS.

Evening Post, Volume XVI, Issue 284, 30 November 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE HON. COLONEL WHITMORE ON THE DEFENCE OF NEW ZEALAND PORTS.

4 Below we make some interesting extracts from the reply made by Colonel Whitmore to a deputation which waited on him at Ohristohurch in relation to this subject : — Colonel Whitmore said that a commission at home had gone into the whole subject on behalf of the New Zealand Government, but unfortunately the despatches bearing on the subject which "had been received by that Governmeat were marked "Confidential." The Government had been under great difficulties in consequence of the secrecy that they had been obliged to keep on the subject through these confidential despatches. Gentlemen would recognise the fact; that it was not usual to make public any matters so marked ; but, as time had gone on, and the population of the country wished to know what had been done, he had determined to go a little beyond the usual practice, and let them know something- on the subject. It was the opinion of practical men- that Lyttelton and the other ohief ports could be defended by very powerful cannon, so that no vessel, not being armour-plated, could stand any chance of getting into the harbor in the face of three or four such guns well posted. From a steady platform, such as the solid ground, these guns could be made very effective, and a source of great damage and danger to the enemy on board ship, and a very few shots would probably caxiae their retreat or destruction. Now, although great ability had been shown in the report of Sir William Jervois, and a great deal of valuable information had been brought to bear, still he (the speaker) was bound to say that, in his humble opinion— and perhaps he had no right to set his opinion as opposed to the authority of such masters in the science of defence — he was compelled to differ from the report that had been drawn, up on the defence of Now Zealand harbors, though not on professional grounds. He maintained that the colony would not be able to carry out such a scheme. Let them take the harbor of Wellington for instance. It was proposed to protect that harbor in a way which it was impossible the colony couldTcarry out They proposed to protoot the Heads, it was true, but what good would that be to the town or shipping if a cruiser once got inside, and it wasjquite possible one might slip in at night time or in a mi3t. Once past the Heads, she could run right into the harbor, and could bombard the town and shipping without the slightest fear of the batteries at the Heads. That was one very strong objection to the scheme, but there was another, and that was tho objection there would be in the country to keep a permanently-paid force for the purpose of manning these batteries—it was a thing which he, for ono, would despair of getting Parliament to voto. According to the plans of the Commission who had sat in London, there were now coming out to the colony though he had not received a telegram from Sir Julius Vogel to that exact effect — not only eleven 7-ton guns and eleven new 64-poundera, which were 3-ton guns, muzzle-loaders, but also a complete torpedo apparatus for the working of submarine mines. It was found that the first system of torpedoes invented was no use, but the present system of submarine mines, exploding by electrioity, -was highly effective and destructive. It was intended to protect the following ports with these mines : — Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, Dunedin, and Nelson. There would also be a number of other guns supplied to the Government for the protection of such harbors as the Bluff, Oamaru, and Timaru. The guns would have been here eight or nine months ago— or at all events, speaking more guardedly, have been here two or three months ago, or at all events by this time, but for the Home Government. That Government came to the conclusion that things looked a little brighter, and not wishing to' Bend out the old pattern which had been altered, they had waited in order to send out arms of a more improved character, viz., the new pattern 64-pounders. Afterwards, on a communication being received from Sir Wm. Jervois, that gentleman had informed the New Zealand Government that if they wished to get the guns quickly they had better telegraph Home for them. Upon receiving that communication he (the speaker) telegraphed Home the same evening. He might, before sitting down, say a word with regard to the artillery. It was proposed to put these Volunteers in one distinct organisation, with the same dress, drill, &c, bo that, in the event of a misfortune, and the artillery of one harbor being rendered useless, the detachments could be brought from any other part of the colony, by rail or otherwise, and could at once fall in and take their place. It was not proposed to keep any permanent force, as proposed by Sir Wm. Jervois, but if the men were called out for active service, then they would be paid in the same way that the Volunteer of the North Island were when they were called out. With such an organisation as was proposed, he did not see how it was possible that a naval attack could be made upon their harbors. With regard to any ironclad visiting our shores, that was an extremely remote contingency, for in the first place they must remember that an ironclad did not carry more than six days' supply of coal with her, and when they likewise reflected that these vessels cost about three-quarters of a million of money each, they might easily conceive that no foreign Government would oare to risk so valuable a vessel on so long and dangerous a cruise. No other vessel but an ironclad could hope to make its way into our harbors against such guns and such torpedo lines of defence as we should have here before long, and if they had trading steamers altered to act as privateers, they would run a very" great risk of having their boilers and machinery destroyed from the vertical fire of the guns, or oven from a steady horizontal one. A shot fired in such a way would quickly destroy such a vessel. Then, when they come to consider that stresß of weather might drive a vessel into harbor, or that it might have to come in of its own accord to got water and fuel, they would see what risks she would run as an enemy when we were so well prepared to receive her. He was not one of .those who thought that an intruding enemy's vessel could do much harm. He failed to see what they had to fear from a vessel manned by a hundred men in a town containing its thousands of male inhabitants. Why, Captain Fairchild, of the Hinemoa, had said that should he find such a vessel in any of our ports he would crowd all he could upon her and run her dowu, for it had been proved during recent collisions that the vessels rammed wore the sufferers, the others getting off very cheaply. For his own part, he should rather have thought that should suoh a vessel enter our harbors she would soon be boarded by the inhabitants. Where they had one or two big guns she would aoon be knocked to pieces,

With regard to big fighting vessels like the Alabama, it was hardly likely they would venture into the harbour. They would rather lie out on the high seas in the track of trading ships and wait for plunder. In these days of telegraphs and quick despatch, they would chance too much to come near the shore at all. As a rule, they liked to keep their movements dark, and this could not be done by entering the harbours of New Zealand. This question of bombarding was, in his opinion, overrated. With the dig ordnance and projectiles carried now-a-days, a very few hundreds would soon exhaust a vessel. And they must not suppose that every shot would be destructive j they might fire a hundred before they did any harm. Thongfi probably alarmed afc first, the people would soon get accustomed to them, and a very largo number might be fired before the town wag set fire to. For his own part, he considered the danger greatly exaggerated. Still, to .prevent themselves from being insulted, and to make themselves respected, he thought they should have proper guns properly mounted, and for the protection of their coasting craft. Theso were the reasons why he thought they should fortify their coasts, for ho did not think there was the slightest fear of the colony being bombarded. With regard to the coming to the town and levying mail upon it, no captain of a man-of-war of a civilised power would think of doing it.