THREE LOCAL CRUISERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18635, 29 April 1924, Page 9

THREE LOCAL CRUISERS.

THE PROTECTION OF TRADE. NEW ZEALAND'S NEEDS. ADMIRAL FIELD'S ADVICE. AN AUXILIARY PATROL. [BY TKLEGEAPH. OWN CORIIESPONDENT. j WELLINGTON. Monday. The principal event in connection ■with the visit of the Spccial Service Squadron was the Government luncheon to Admiral Field and his officers. There was a very representative assemblage. The toast list was a short one. The Prime Minister proposed the toast of ''The King.'' There was a brief pause for someone to lead in the Nation Anthem, and the Prime Minister called for "No. 1 musician." There was a simmer of laughter when a well-known knight and ex-bank chairman led off with "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow," a large number of those present joining in mechanically. Almost at once the mistake was noticed, and amends were made by the singing of "God Save Gut Gracious King," to which, becauso of the contretemps, added feeling was given. Mr. Massey urged the importance of making and keeping the navy efficient.

Problem of the Navy. Admiral Field, who is an excellent speaker, was received with cheers, and prefaced his remarks with reference to the pleasure it gave him to be there with lord Jellicoe, who had taught him all he knew about the Navy. The importance of tho capital ship was stressed by the admiral, not necessarily a "Hood," he said, because designs in battleships altered like ladies' fashions. In the present position of the Mother Country, with nearly 2,000,000 unemployed, it was difficult to keep op a Navy at a cost of £60,000,000 per year, which meant 30s per head of the population. They had reached the stage when the cruisers which had been through the war had to be replaced, and capital ships also would have to be replaced, because it was necessary to protect our trade routes. Therefore tho very existence of the Empire made it necessary now to consider bow we stood.

Trade from New Zealand that had to be convoyed across so many miles of sea could not. be protected by one cruiser. He likened this to a man with ore pair of trousers. He had to go to bed while they were being patched. So it would be with t>ne cruiser.

Value of Rivalry.

What really was wanted here was three cruisers— on patrol and one fuelling or repairing. Further, with only one cruiser the personnel was apt to .get slack. Ultimately, perhaps, New. Zealand could maintain three cruisers, and then they could exchange a ship with the Mother Country and get experience in anti-sub-marine and anti-air craft operations. Great benefit would also accrue in the competition Of one ship against the other, just as was the case in j the present squadron, where east country competed against west country ] in friendly rivalry. Admiral Field also spoke of the necessity of New Zealand having an auxiliary patrol for mine-sweeping, because raiders could lay mines in the night-time at the entrance to our harbours. A naval or volunteer reserve could do such work, and so enable our shipping to leave and enter our ports in safety. Lord Jellicoe's Speech. There was prolonged and enthusiastic cheering when Lord Jellicoe rose to respond to the toast of his health. Both he and Lady Jellicoe, and, he might add, their children, would experience a pang of regret when the day arrived for them to turn their backs pn " New Zealand's shores for the rest of their lives. Ho added they would never forget either the New Zealand people or the country the which the New Zealand people had the happiness to live. It was almost in affectionate terms that Lord Jellicoe referred to his association with Admiral Field. They were first together in the Boxer trouble in China, when each of them "had managed to stop something." (Laughter.) Admiral Field, he said, had led the fleet in the battle of Jutland, in King George V., and since then he had occupied one of the most responsible positions any naval officer could fill, because since the Washington Conference the naval problem had indeed b-)en a very difficult one, owing to the fact that ships had been destroyed and plans scrapped which would be really needed in the future. This was now felt as much in the United States of America as in England, but it was a great feather in our cap, and he said so in the presence of tiie United States representative, that we had beaten our American cousins in the scrapping. (Laughter and cheers.)