THE NAVY'S TASK

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24850, 23 March 1944, Page 4

THE NAVY'S TASK

PROTECTING DOMINION STRENGTH AFTER THE WAR (0.C.) WANG'ANUI, Wednesday _ "The threat of invasion and of air bombardment lias passed, but the submarine threat remains and it is the duty of the New.Zealand Navy to counter that tlireut," says the Chief of the New Zealand Naval Staff, Commodore Sir Atwell Lake, 0.8. E., R.N., in an address to the women's auxiliary of the Navy League here and next-of-kin of Wanganui men serving with naval units. "Anti-submarine measures havo been instituted at main ports and they must be 011 tlio alert and manned day and night. "In addition, we must he prepared for enemy minelaying by submarines, both contact and magnetic, and our minesweepers must be ready. We have to control and route shipping over a vast area of ocean, entailing particularly accurate plotting and unceasing attention, and we have to a great deal of wireless traffic." Commodore Lake said that when victory was won our navies and air forces must bo maintained at considerable strength for many years to come, for world peace would not be won in a dog watch. To preach and practise disarmament over again would be fatal because there could be no surer forerunner of war than a comparatively weak navy. "The day when it can be said that there will be no more war is a long way off, and while that is the goal to strive for in the days of peace that are to come, it will not be easily or quickly achieved," said Sir Atwell. "Sea power must be exercised which will be a combination of naval and air forces and of the merchant navy, and the command of these must bo maintained in order to achieve freedom of the seas, whereby the free interchange of trade between all nations of the world can be assured: Without that! interchange of trade the better world for which we are striving cannot he created. The Navy League must continue to keep watch and enlist the support of all classes in maintaining the Navy and the Air Force at the requisite standard of strength, for the sudden development of such strength is impossible, and help and support the merchant navy."