EMPIRE DEFENCE

Feilding Star, Volume 11, Issue 4181, 2 March 1934, Page 5

EMPIRE DEFENCE

VISITING EXPERTS VIEWS EXPRESSED (Aust. and N.Z. Cable) Auckland, Feb. gS Similar opinion on Empire defence, and on the defence of New Zealand in particular, were voiced 1 1\ Admiral C. Greatorex and BrigadierPeneral Rowley, who arrived by the Tamaroa today. “Defence in the future will depend on submarines, mine carriers, heaw aircraft, and battleships,” said General Rowley. “Land forts will be of little use. They are too easily destroyed by modern methods of warfare. The development of the Singapore base has. helped to safeguard your - safety in the Pacific.” Admiral Greatorex said, he considered that the use of submarines was the best method of protection for a weaker Power, lie did not believe in aerial defence alone. Aircraft could never entirely displace ship®. Forts were antiquated. Their range was restricted, and they could be overcome by many methods of modern warfare. .Mobile methods of defence were much better. Cruisers of abut 10,000 tons had been found most satisfactory for Empire defence and submarines for the protection of small countries such as New Zealand, lie said emphatically that there were far too few fast cruisers in the Royal Navy at present.