CASUAL COMMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1937, Page 2

CASUAL COMMENT

AND SOME OBSERVATIONS. (By Observer). The Mediterranean is regarded as a possible scene for hostilities some of these days. The navies of the Powers interested in those waters have been busy with manoeuvres. A French admiral decided to break from tradition, and he controlled his fleet from a fast cruiser instead of from a battleship. His idea was for better mobility, and so keep the fleet under his immediate eye. Further, he used an aeroplane flying over the scene of operations at times. A British admiral complimented the Frenchman of being' a thinker bold enough to break with tradition and use modern inventions to advantage. “The position of a naval Com-mander-in-Chief in wartime should depend upon the nature of his forces and the extent of the area under his control,” he said. “If he has what may be called a unified command (that is a single force like a> battle-fleet), his station in war should be with that fleet in exactly the same way that in the Great War Lord Jellicoe’s post was in the Grand Fleet. If, however, he has a composite command, his station should not necessarily be in the largest ship, perhaps not even with the largest units. The principle that should be satisfied in selecting his war position is that he should be in the place where lie can exercise the. greatest control over the whole command.”

The same authority gave his Views on ;the probable line of action in a Mediterranean engagement as follows: ——“it is evident that from the. French point of view a battle-fleet' action i* more or less a, minor consideration in the Mediterranean in these days. "If is one which could well- be fought, therefore, by a subordinate. The number of ships involved would be few. Whoever might be adjudged the win lief, all would be so damaged As *' result of the action that they would for months be powerless to affect tin situation. But on the other hand .the protection of. transport between France and: Algeria, and throughout the length of the Mediterranean as well" as tin possibility of oversea operations arc matters of greater importance. Whethe; this control is best carried out from r cruiser or whether a central shore posi tion such as. Algiers is the most suit able, is one which the admiral alone can decide; but the essence of success will lie in sureness and rapidity of com munication and it would be unwise tern porarily to isolate himself from his cen tre of communication.”

That the subject is having special consideration from the, British point of view is indicated by the opinion o! a very famous cruiser admiral to tli following effect:—“Under modern con ditions at sea the Commander-in-Cliie-in war-time would be in a much bet ter position .to control: his forces from a specially designed flagship lying out side the line of battle than from om of the ships in line, with the roar o\ the guns of his own ship and the con cussion of bursting enemy shells to dis tract him. The special ship woiild' carry aircraft, have only light aiiti-aircral: and anti-destroyer guns. It Would be fitted with every means of commuuica tion—wireless! visual,. sound-signallih? and so oh—for the staff to plot th< movements of the enemy with the lates devices. This is an ideal that no navy can afford, certaiiiiy riot our’s, to years to come. The French have carried tile idea., as far as possible, ami a cruiser would have a considerable advantage over the battleship if she is fitted on the lines I have suggest ed. But she would share some of the battleship’s drawbacks.” It is evi dent in any clash, the, genius of tlv Commander-in-Chief will be a very ini portant fdfctor, and the officer shotild have at his service the best means'o' communication possible with his fight ing ships. The State coach used at the Corona tion is just 175 years old. It wa'. built for George ; lit at a cost 6, £7587 19s 9J, but was not paid for foi a period of five years. It is gilded with 18 carat gold, >aiicl has carried oilly Kings and Queens. The coach is 24 feet; long, Bft. 3in. wide, and 12 fool high. It weighs four tons. It represents the peak of artistic extravagance in an age that was famous for it.lavishness'. Its maintenance and re novation front time to. .time has been the subject of substantial expenditure also. In appearance and with its eight grey horses, it is a veritable ..Cinderella coach, and must have been the mode; for the vehicle which plays a part in the story that never grows old. Nov the coach has been put away, 'mot to be seen in public again till the Kin? opens Parliament in November. Bui sight-seers every Wednesday and Sat urdav may inspect the. coach at clos*. quarters at the King’s mews, then open to the public. The Londou “Express” paid a marked tribute to Mr Savage, the Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand, whom it described as a Socialist patriot. The paper proceeded: “He has the true conception of Empire. He sees the vast riches of the Commonwealth as a trust given to us that we may raise the standard of life of the people. That is our supreme imperial task. If the Labour Party in Britain were to adopt Mr Savage’s policy how greatly they would gain in support from the nation. And there is good reason win- they should follow in his footsteps. For the aim of%is policy should be that of Labour policy everywhere-» the betterment of the lot of men and w'omen.” That independent tribute to their leader will be very acceptable to the New Zealand Labour Party.

The partv at. Horae is not making

much headway. In the eleven byeelections held recently. Labour failed to score, a practical result hard to dispute. The political situation at Home is difficult and different from that of the Dominions. The foreign policy is a material factor on the other side of tlie world, and the tendency has been always to confide in the leadership of the Conservatives. The issues to-day are essentially bound up in foreign affairs. The Flowery Creek road deviation from the main highway to Kumara Junction on the north route, though still incomplete*!, is coming into a good deal of use by motorists. The new road will shorten the through journey to and from Greyinouth very considerably. As the authorities propose sealing the new highway, it will mean that there will be a sealed road connecting the two towns. This will be a boon to motorists, and it will result in the distance between the two points being traversed in less than three-quarters of an hour. At present the Highway is sealed from Greymouth to Kumara Junction; and from Flowery Creek to Hokitika. From Kumara Junction to Flowery Creek (with the exception of one well-graded hill, all level country) is a distance of eight miles and a half, and this will be sealed, it is expected, by the end of next year. The inter-communication between the two towns will therefore grow considerably in the next few months.

Press and politicians paid a great tribute to Lord Snowden at the time of his passing. Here are the closing sentences of the tribute from the Rt. Hon Winston Churchill : The British democracy should be proud of Philip Snowden. He was a man capable of maintaining the structure of Society while at the same time championing the interests of the masses His long life of struggle against poverty and physical amiction was crowned by honourable success. There was a Roman quality about- him. His fearlessness, his rectitude, his austerity, his sobriety of judgment, his deep love of Britain and his studiously concealed pride in British greatness distinguish him as one, of The true worthies of our age. His life of privation, of affliction, of self-denial, of war-time odium had a grand culmination. The history of Parliament will not ignore the scene when the House of Commons rose to their feet in enthusiasm as lie recited ttie famous lines : ..... “All our past proclaims the future 1 : Shakespeare’s voice and Nelson’s hand. “Milton’s faith and "Wordsworth’s trust in this our chosen • and ehainless land. “Bear us witness .... “Come the world against her, England yet shall stand!”