VISITING WARSHIPS

Evening Star, Issue 18628, 8 May 1924, Page 11

VISITING WARSHIPS

CANTERBURY QUESTIONS. BATTLE CRUISERS COULD HATE VISITED LYTTELTON. [Pkk United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, May 7. The Hood and the Repulse will leave Wellington to-morrow to continue their visit to New Zealand ports. CHRISTCHURCH, May 7. At the meeting of the Lyttelton Harbor Board Dr Thacker asked' the engineer whether it was really inifiossible to berth Ihe Hood and the Repulse in Lyttelton Harbor, lie had been told by people with expert knowledge that those ships could be accommodated quite easily at Lyttelton. The Engineer (Mr C. E. J. "Williams): Had the authorities been willing to have the vessels come to Lyttelton, we- would have been able to accommodate thorn. Dr Thacker said that it was a question of savins bv tbo Admiralty. Mr Williams: It is a matter of regret that tbo Hood) did not come. .Stic- could have been accommodated easily. .Mr li. T. Armstrong,. ALP., said that ii hail been stated that the huger ships could not be accommodated. He asked whether any ships which had visited New Zealand at any time could not hnvo been accommodated at Lvltelton. Mr Williams; Not yet; there are-ships in the world which we could not Like, but they are not likely to come to New Zealand. There is no ship in the British New which could not have been brought into Lvttelton. Dr tiiacker asked what depth ol water was drawn bv the Hood nod the Repulse. Mr M. J." Alillcr said the Hood drew s,ift of water. The fact that the big battleships had not visited Lyttelton had nothing to do with accommodation. The itinerary of the whole trip was settled before 'the ships left London. The squadron had been distributed so that the ships should visit, each port in the countiy that could accommodate thorn._ The question of the accommodation of the larger ships did not apparently come, into the minds of those arranging the tour. Air W. K. M'Alpine did not see why the ships could not have anchored in the stream as battleships always did up till twenty or thirty years ago. It was not an account of the' want of confidence in (he port that the ships did not come to Ia tultnn.

Air F. Harrell said that lie had been told that there was not a different distribution of the ships because it would have meant dividing the command. RearAdmiral Sir Hubert Brand wns in command of the cruisers, and Vice-Admiral vr Frederick Field commanded the battleships. There was nothing in the theory that the Hood and the Repulse had not come because of the depth of water, as H.AI.S. Renown, a sister ship, had experi.enccd no difficulty.

CHILDREN ENTERTAINED. A PAL ACT} OF DELIGHT. ■WELLINGTON, May 7. To-day many thousands took advantage of the last opportunity to visit the battle cruisers Hood and Repulse. At one time the waiting queue was nearly half a mile Ion.;. On the Hood hundreds of small parties were taken charge of by the petty officers ami semn-n ami personally conducted over the huge fighting vessel. Various sections wt-ie explained. On the Repulse it was the men’s day, and LOCO invitations must have been issued. as the vessel was crowded. The men were allowed full opportunity to entertain the visitors and provide enjoyment. The quarter-deck was plated at their disposal. and their jazz band! played all tftc afternoon. For the children various swings, revolving wheels, a switchback railway, and chutes were arranged, and the warship resembled a floating palace of delight. To-night the Navy League ball was held, and a searchlight display was given. 'I he vessels, with H.M.AaS. Adelaide, will leave, at 8 to-morrow morning. Vice-Ad-miral Field, in command of the Special Strvire Squadron, will arrange for the spiadron to give a searchlight display when off Cape Tnrnagain, which will he about 10 o’clock to-morrow night. The squadron will be at Napier from 8 to 10 on Friday, but H.M.S.' Repulse will be stmt on to Gisborne, where she will remain from 8 a.m. till midnight on Friday, The Repulse is a sister ship to the Renown, in which (he Prince of Wales visited New' Zealand.