THE NAVAL BASE

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 144, 20 June 1913, Page 2

THE NAVAL BASE

PICTON'S CLAIMS

The Waimate Adertiser (edited by Mr 11. J. Logan, formerly of Blenheim) says:—Wisely; the representatives of the local ■ bodies of Marlborough invited Captain Halsey, on the occasion of his visit to Pictbn last Tuesday, to express his opinion upon the suitability or otherwise of Queen -Charlotte Sound for <a naval base. It ; will be recollected that the question ! of the site to be recommended to the Admiralty for this purpose was pointedly put to the Government during the 1911 session of Parliament, when Mr John. Duncan, then Member for W.airau, received tlie reply that Auckland had been (recommended in preference to Picton. The Marl"borough people were not convinced of the superiority of Auckland's claim. "What-they saw in Auckland's temporary victory was the numerical strength of tho northern representation in Parliament, as contrasted with Marlborough's solitary member. The return of the Hon. Jas. Allen from tho Defence Council of the Empire, with proposals that might moan the casting the whole matter of naval defence into the melting-pot, so far as New Zealand is con-cornod, makes the pre«-O7it jnnctui-o olive with possibilities . Th-en -again, if Lord Kitchener's visit a few years ago meant the estab- I lishment of a Territorial Force, possible Captain Hnlsoy'f* mission in J H.M.S. Now Zealand has not been merely to -disnlay the battleship in tho eyes of the donors, but rather to advise the Admiralty on important plans for basing a South Pacific Fleet. At j sill events, it is significant that Pic- I

ton, the acknowledged rival of Auckland in this matter, was left unvisited ; until all the other harbors in New j Zealand had been inspected. Now we " have Captain Halsey (expressing his : own views and not representing the Admiralty) saying that "from a naval officer's standpoint it was really the finest harbor in New Zealand. Queen Charlotte Sound had peculiar advantages, being a landlocked -place wherein at any season of the year ships could lie" with safety. Entirely in accord with what lie bad said in favor : of Picton as <a naval base it was a most, suitable place from" a strategic point of view for a naval harbor, the en- [ trance could be so easily defended." He concluded: "In years to come he hoped to see the harbor of Picton made a naval base." If Captain Halsey had known the nature of the country bohind Picton, he could have pointed out that by running a railway up the Wairau Valley to Tophouse and down the Buller, so as to connect with the Midland line—the identical proposal of Sir Julius Vogel—unlimited j supplies'of Westport coal could be got . for the battleships refuging or shelterI ing in Picton harbor, without any need 'of sea transit. And it is unnecessary to sing the praises of Westport coal to anyone connected with the British Navy.