THE BRITISH NAVY.

Mataura Ensign, 22 March 1909, Page 4

THE BRITISH NAVY.

SOME .NEW DEPAHTPKES. The year WO!) bids fair to be as fruitlul ol changes in the .Navy as any of its eventful predecessors and apart from the steady continuance of what, in religious circles, is called a strong '•forward | movement," there is the likelihood of some very interesting new departures in policy which amount to matters of national importance (savs 'Lloyd's Weekly'). One of these concerns'the ■distribution of the .Navy and although [what is contemplated is not reallv an innovation but rather the rciutroduotion of an old condition of all'airs, it is none the less noteworthy. The logic of events has lately been undermining the present policy ol keeping our lleets very largelv'iu home waters. .No doubt exists ol the necessity of a preponderating aggregation of our naval strength in close proximity to our own shores, hut ever since (he , the squadrons abroad were depleted tor the purpose of that aggregation the needs of a world-wide Empire, of which the sea is I lie highway and the chief bond, have been crying out to be supplied. Help has bee,, needed al , Hrilish ships have been at hand; traders have bewailed and pioneers on the Umpire's edge have deplored the absence ol i In- English Hag to encourage unwisdom of a policy which leaves all the parading of naval strength to less powerful hut more showy rivals. In a word, time has shown ihal I lien- are many serious disadvantages in liaviii" lerrilorv washed bv all the seven seas and a Heel nmlinod to one. _ .MOKE CJU'JSEU SQIAORO.NS. Il is not greatlv surprising, therefore, to hear Ihal naval men are ialking with some confidence ol the prospect of modifications in the present "concentrated Heel" police. If current gossip speaks truly the sending mil of special cruiser squadrons such as thai which has just visited South Africa and South Amcliea under Sir I'ercv Scott will be more ireqiieut ill future. The White Ensign will be seen more commonly on the grciil sen highwavs and in Ilic remoter parts of fbe world and if enough inoiicv can be obtained to meet ll xtra coal bills the great lleets in home waters may 1 xpecicd to make longer run;, than they have lately indulged in. Humor is busy 100 about our naval liases abroad. At one time we possessed an unrivalled chain of these bases across the globe, from Devonport, via Gibraltar, Malta. Adorn Colombo and Singapore into the China Seas, but with the lessening of the foreign squadrons ami the coming ol the floating collier some of the links in the chain were sull'ered to weaken. They may never lie restored, but it seems likely that we may lind renewed usefulness for our liases in the f'aeilie and it would mil be surprising at any time to hear of Admiralty developments in that direction. Ksquimalt, for instance, is to lie handed over to tjie Canadian Government, but important works are to be carried out there and naval ollicers, who have regretted the "dropping" of ibis base since it was abandoned four years ago. , will rejoice to learn that it is to lie made even belter than it was then and will at anv time become available for its old purpose ol a Heel, station. There is no doubt Unit in the future lie- Paeilic Ocean will .share with tb" .North Sea the chiol place in our naval strategy. The developinenl of the North Sea defences is proceeding apace and la-fore long-bclorc the treat v with Japan exotics and leaves us on our own le.-.ources again in the Ear East —steps will him- to be taken to plan- the navy 'ou its old looting in seas where now t be liisiitg Sun and the Stars and Stripes represent the chief maritime Powers. A.N ELASTIC UOMX So far as the distribution of the home lieels are concerned the rapid progress ol wireless telegraphy makes much easier the seallering ol the. vessels. V\ ere it impossible to communicate Willi tin" Heels il would be unwise to let them go far from our shores; but wireless telegraphy prm ides just the kind ol elastic bond required, holding the .ships more lirnily under control, while it permits them to wander lurther abroad. 1 lie Admiralty are determinedly developing the posibiiities ol "wireless' as used in the licet and under the new coastguard system there will be signal stations equipped with .Marconi apparatus and manned by trained naval signalmen all round the coast. This system will have two "nerve centies"—one at Portsmouth and the other in London. At the former place a great hightension wireless station is being lormei,' —the I'oldhu of the -Navy. When linishled it will be able to reach with its sig- 1 . mil waves Irom Gibraltar in the Souili to Kosyth in the .North, where a great mast of pine is to be erected on a hilltop for catching and distributing messages. At Whitehall the wireless installation is now in such a good working order (hat quite long messages uneasily transmitied to the naval ports and to ships and promotions and appointments have been on occasion projected straight from the Admiralty headquarters to ships' notice-boards. This wireless telegraph installation is winking a wonderful change in the possibilities ol onr naval strategy anil in consequence a good many observers are looking for important announcements of alleralions in the distribution of warships.