BRITISH NAVAL POWER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17845, 28 July 1921, Page 7

BRITISH NAVAL POWER.

WAENING BY MR. MASSEY.

RISKS THAT CANNOT BE TAKEN

LIFE OR DEATH TO DOMINION By Talegruph_p reßs Association-Copyright. A- and N.Z. LONDON, July 2ft It is evident from the exceptional pro- , minence given by the London and provincial press to the speech of Mr W F | Massey at Bath, and the editorial com' , ments upon it, that the speech i s regarded as the most important made by Mr. Massey since his first address on arrival. The speech was delivered at a luncheon, after the presentation of the freedom of the city, to a gathering of 1 1 people, who frequently cheered Mr. j Massey's vigorous etraightout utterances. | The Daily Telegraph says that the | function was chiefly notable for the | speech of Mr. Massey, and publishes it j in extenso. I Mr. Massey said that he believed that j the deliberations of the conference of j Prime Ministers would resnit in the bonds j of Empire being stronger than six months ago. One of the problems was to get the j distant countries of the Empire together I and reconcile conflicting interests, so | that all could speak with one voice and I act as one nation. The League of | Nations had done good work, but he still I thought the Empire should be ready to j meet attack at sea. I He hoped the conference at Washingj ton would be successful. He desired to ■ see British representatives there. He was i not speaking personally of Mr. Hughes and himself, as their attendance might I be but he wanted to see Brij tish representatives there who would speak with one voice. He instanced that I one of the lessons of the war was the j necessity for a strong navy to keep open the communications for the British Empire's chain of nations round the world. If a foreign nation took possession of part of British territory and the Navy was too small to recover, the Empire would certainly go to pieces in such circumstances. He knew the difficulties of finance at this period, but we must not accept a risk which we could not afford to run. A' navy could not be built in six months like an army. A strong navy was a question of life and death to the South Pacific. The present position was not safe, and could not be tolerated.

The Morning Post says: "We commend to serious consideration the warning of Mr. Massey, who stated in plain words that in respect of naval defence the Empire was taking risks it could not afford. Never in comparison with other navies has Britain fallen so low. We discern in Mr. Massey's observations appreciation of the requrements of naval defence, which is one of' the most valuable results of the conference.

The Bristol Times says that it was the speech of a distinguished statesman.

The Times has a leader on the necessity for arrangements whereby Australia and New Zealand may be fully heard on the Pacific problem at the Washington conference.