EMPIRE DEFENCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22241, 16 October 1935, Page 16

EMPIRE DEFENCE

NEED FOR STRONG FORGES REPLACEMENT OF CRUISERS [BY TELBGRAPH- —PRESS ASSOCIATION] INVERCARGILL, Tuesday In a speech at the Rotary Club today Commodore the Hon. E. R. Drummond, commodore commanding the New Zealand Naval "Station, mentioned that H.M.S. Dunedin and H.M.S. Diomede were both shortly due for relief by modern cruisers.' "The new cruisers are Leander class ships of 7000 tons, armed with eight six-inch guns," he said. "They carry a complement of 550 men. One of these is due next winter, but naturally the exchange will depend on the European situation, because it is, I think, well known now that the British Navy is hardly sufficient to meet the domands that would be made on it in a war. After the last war the cry from everyone was for peace. Our statesmen did everything they could to Bet an example in disarmament, an example which, however, unfortunately other nations did not follow, with tho result that we find ourselves adrift in the race which has started for rearmament. "Possibly good has come out of evil over the present situation at Home, in that it has shown our most ardent pacifists that troaties and pacts aro useless without power behind them, and the whole nation appears now to realise that Britain must rearm, and that the maintenance of the Empire can only bo retained by the possession of forces strong enough, to ensure peace. " ISew Zealand maintains two cruisers. That is the share she lias taken in Empire defence. Her commitments will be increased by maintaining the larger cruisers, but as a set-off to this her contribution to the Singapore Base is finished. "At the present timo we are busy preparing for the new cruisors by improvements, badly needed, at the naval base. _ An increase in tho personnel of New Zealanders is also required to provide extra ratings for manning the larger cruisers. We aim to have New Zealand ratings sufficient to man the two cruisers out here, though naturally there will bo a percentage of Imperial ratings in these cruisers, due to the interchange system, this interchange being necessary to allow New Zealand ratings to gain experience in big fleots, and to prevent staleness."