"HANDS OFF THE NAVY."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18887, 9 December 1924, Page 12

"HANDS OFF THE NAVY."

STANDARD MITCH TOO LOW.

NEED FOR STRENGTHENING.

AUSTRALIAN'S ADVOCACY.

" The time has come when the cry

' Hands off the British Navy' must go

| forth," was .the opinion given yesterday j by the Hon. Walter Marks, M.P., of SydI ney, who returned by the Niagara after { a lengthy tour of tho Old World, during

which he paid particular attention to

naval matters, and had the opportunity I of meeting leading statesmen and naval j authorities.

Mr. Marks, who was Under-Secretary

for External Affairs in the Hughes Government and is one of tho best-known yachtsmen in Australia, had a long period of service with tho British Navy during

the war as a lieutenant in the Volunteer Reserve, and commanded a naval depot in Wales. The naval programme recently adopted by Australia was first promulgated by Mr. Marks in the Federal Parliament, and it was ho who opposed the contention by Admiral Field that there should bo a naval base in Northern Australia. His recent visit to nine of the

leading nations of the world was purely a private political mission and naval tour. Speaking yesterday of the suggested further naval reductions, Mr. Marks said the Washington Treaty brought Britain from a three-Power standard to a onePower standard. This standard was mucK

too low for such a mighty Empire as ours, scattered as it was over the seven seas, and, requiring a large force of surface ships to guard the trade routes. The British Empire had no counterpart in any other Power, and no other rower had therefore the same argument as the British for the maintenance of a large navy. In contending that there should be no further meddling with the power of the British Navy, Mr. Marks said that should further naval reductions be insisted upon, each Power should bo taken separately, the extent of its territory, the situation of its component parts, and the number of its people ascertained. The requisite naval protection could then bo determined and allowed. It would then be seen what proportion of ships Great Britain should have in relation to the other Powers.