THE H.B. TRIBUNE TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 1936 A TRIUMPH OF PEACE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 143, 2 June 1936, Page 6

THE H.B. TRIBUNE TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 1936 A TRIUMPH OF PEACE.

It would no doubt have been matter of gratification and pride for us all, as coming from the foremost maritime nation of the world, had we to-day received a message stating that on her maiden voyage the Queen Mary had established a new time record for the westwards crossing of the Atlantic by sea. That, however, has been denied us, but only by the very narrow margin of .little more than half an hour over a course of 3,000 miles. It has, however, been made manifest that this huge and marvellous product of British shipbuilders and British engineers would have accomplished tht feat but for adverse weather conditions. When, at a favourable stage in the crossing, she was really put to the test she was able to show that her capacity for speed was sufficient to outstrip that of any existing rival.

Then, however, she became en veloped in a fog that, in the interests of the safety not only of the ship herself but also of the thousands of human lives she carried, called for a material slackening of speed for many hours. This in itself was quite sufficient to account for the failure to reach New York ahead of the time put up by the French ship specially - built for the capture of the Atlantic speed championship. It was from the outset made quite clear that any attempt on the time record would be subordinated to the safety of tiff ship, her crew and her passengers, a precaution with which all will agree who have memory of the tragic fate which, nearly quarter of a century ago, befel the Titanic on her first run across the same troubled waters.

At time of writing we have nothing more to go on than the bare announcement from New York of the Queen Mary’s crossing of the winning line 38 minutes behind the Normandie’s record time and there may possibly be some slight readjustments to make. It is, however, quite reasonable to conclude that when put to it with engines and machinery fully “sweetened” and under equally favourable atmospheric conditions, the British ship, appropriately bearing the name of our Queen, will regain for Great Britain the title of the Greyhound of the Atlantic. However, there is a great deal more than this involved in the success in this respect which we may with reasonable confidence hope to see achieved by the Queen Mary. In it we have to see a triumph of peace in a world which for many months now has been greatly disturbed by war and threats of war. From these it ; is something to have our minds distracted even if only tempoI rarily. What wc have most of all

to pray and hope for is that, as the gracious lady after whom she is named would wish, the Queen Mary may prove a harbinger of light and of greater friendliness among the nations of the earth. May we not hope that even yet some of the many millions of good money, the skill, the science and the labour, that are being dedicated to the devising and the building of instruments of destruction may be diverted to providing the nations with further and better means fov amicable intercourse profitable to all?