AN EMBRYO NAVY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 21, 26 January 1911, Page 2

AN EMBRYO NAVY.

The Federal Minister for Defence (Senator Pearce) stated last week that he had received from the Admiralty a communication relating to the contracts for the construction of tho two 6econd-class protected cruisers, Melbourne and Sydney. The contract for building the Melbourne has been placed with the firm of Camniell, Laird, and Co., Ltd., Birkenhead, and the Sydney will be built by the London and Glasgow Engineering and Iron Ship Building Company, Ltd., Glasgow. The total estimated cost is about £4j>0.,000 for each vessel. "" Complimentary reference has been made to the officers of the Commonwealth naval forces who brought the destroyers Parra- ' matta and Yarra from England by Captain Grant, of H.M.S. Gibraltar. The Gibraltar, it will be remembered, acted j as convoy during part of the voyage. Captain Grant has written to the Minister for Defence stating that the success with which the destroyers accomplished the long voyage reflects the greatest credit on Captain Tiekell. The arrangements -were admirable, and not the slightest hitch or delay in the programrae occurred. The Prime Minister (Mr. Fisher) and Mrs. Fisher, the Minister for Defence (Senator Pearce) and Mre. Pearce, and the Postmaster-General (Mr. Thomas) and Mrs. Thomas paid a visit on the 14th inst. to the degtroyere Parramatta and Yarra, now lying at Williamstown. The Naval Director (Captain Creswell) and the State Commandant (Captain Tiekell) met the party at the gangway of tire Parramatta, \vhich is at present the "flagship" of tho navy. Subsaquntly th visitors were •hown over he vewels by laeuts. Faakes 1 and. Biddlecombti <