NAVAL DEFENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19282, 20 September 1924, Page 10

NAVAL DEFENCE.

TRAINING IN NEW ZEALAND.

AN OPPOSITION AMENDMENT.

(Feom Our Own Couuespondent.) WELLINGTON September 19. In the House of Representatives to-day, when the naval defence vote (£330,465) was called on for consideration, the Leader of tho Opposition (Mr T. M. Wilford) moved that the vote should bo reduced by £1 as an indication that tho Philomel should be scrapped and the naval recruiting scheme abandoned. Ho did not believe that Now Zealand was going to bo a country in which recruiting for tho navy was going to be a success. On the other hand, thcio were thousands of suitable young men at Homo, and therefore there was no question of necessity. Notwithstanding what Commodore Hotham had done, the scheme in New Zealand had been a dismal failure. While he was prepared to help the Govbrnmont to maintain the Dunedin, he wanted to see the Philomel dropped. Tho idea of manning the navy from tho outlying portions of tho Empire had been a costly and a ghastly failure so far as New Zealand was concerned. Mr J. A. Lee (Auckland East) said the fact that Now Zealand could not get enough men for the ships which the country had to pay for showed that tho scheme was absolutely unpopular. Our naval expenditure had increased more than that of any other country. The Minister for Defence (Sir R. Heaton Rhodes) said that our recruiting scheme was not a failure. Ho thought we should induce our young men to join tho navy. It was a good career. It was worth paying something to give our young men such a career. They would bo available to man the guns on the ships in these waters in case of war. Mr Wilford: We want nil our strong young men in production just now. Sir Heaton Rhodes: We want them in production, but we also want protection.— (“Hear, hear.”) Ho hoped that the House would not .agree to the reduction. Wo had another cruiser in view. The Prime Minister said he believed that New Zealand would jiroduce as good a class of naval men ns Great Britain had ever done. In fact, she was doing it now, but of course in small proportions, but he believed the time would come when Now Zealand would do its full share. New Zealanders might be expected to take to the sea ns ducks to water. One had only to see the number of yachtsmen there was in Auckland Harbour to recognise that, and he know they would make very gQdd sailors. lie was impressed with the numbers of New Zealanders who, during the war, had volunteered for coastal defence in Groat Britain. There had been little said about that, but he had met thorn in England, and knew that they had done specially good work in a very arduous service. They certainly held their own with British sailors. The Leader of the Opposition had suggested that recruiting for the Navy in New Zealand had been a failure. That was not his (Mr Massey’s) experience, ami he was glad to hear Mr Wilford's statement contradicted by the Minister of Defence. He believed that if necessary we could even man a cruiser with young men of the native race, and that as sailors these young men would distinguish themselves as they had done as soldiers in tho war. If the House were unwise enough to agree to the amendment moved by the Leader of tho Opposition the fact would be reported in the British newspapers to-morrow, and it would appear that New Zealand —the most British of the British dependencies, had opposed an attempt to recruit sailors for the Navy. Mr Wilford said ho and the Prime Minister were on all fours in regard to the necessity for the defence of the Empire on land and on son, but they differed in their ideas of the method in which It should be undertaken. He maintained that this money was not being expended wisely. He believed that the Dunedin was necessary and of value, and that we would even have to go into a larger expenditure, but ho believed that there was no necessity for such a ship as tho Philomel. Japan had 22 light cruisers in the Pacific with two or three knots greater speed than any British or American cruisers, and while we were spending money for the defence of these ports wo must not pretend that our light cruisers here could show their heels to the one Power wo were afraid of, and rightly afraid of—viz., Japan. Air R. Heaton Rhodes agreed that the Philomel was useless as a sea-going ship, but as a (raining ship she was fulfilling ft useful purpose.—(“Hear hear.”) If they had not tho Philomel they would have io go to tho expense of building barracks, for they must have men for the naval base at Auckland to look after tho navol stores and guns. Tho Hon. W. D. Stewart said that if the Leader of the Opposition wore to bo successful with his amendment he must depend for his votes upon those who radically differed from him on tho question of naval defence —upon tho votes of a parly who ridiculed tho proposal that Now Zealand should have any local navel defence at all. Tho ships in New Zealand waters were of real value, and it was on tho advice of tho navy that they wore being used. When ho was in Australia three yours ago he had spent a week-end with Admiral Dumaresq. He had told him that New Zealand was pursuing the most sound naval policy of any dominion in tho Empire. Ho had said wo wore showing great wisdom in tho course wo were pursuing. Last year or tho year before tile hon. gentleman had raised tho question whether New Zealand would not get sufficient protection from submarines and aircraft, but ho now know that when Admiral Field was hero lie had said that that would not bo a satisfactory solution of tho problem. Tho Leader of tho Opposition should consider the views of those men who had devoted their whole lives to naval affairs and who were able to advise what was tho proper line for New Zealand to pursue. One of tho minor objects of the Now Zealand unit was that we should bo ablo to train our own men. Rather than got his support from that side of tho House which wont in for destructive criticism ho thought the Leader of tho Opposition should withdraw his amendment. After-some further discussion the amendment was defeated by 32 votes to 26. The following is the division list; Nona (32). Anderson Hunter Atmoro Linklator Bell Lvsjiar Bitchencr M’Lood Bollard Macmillan Coates Massey Dickson, J. M‘C. Nosworthy Dickson, J. S. Parr Field Fomare Glenn Rhodes, Sir R. H Guthrie Rnlleston, F. J. Harris Stewart Ilawkcn Sykes Hockly Urn Hudson Wright. Ayes (26). Armstrong M‘Kcen Bartrum Masters Bucldo' Monteith Corrigan Munro de la Perrelle O’Brien Edio Parry Forbes Poland Hanan Savage Holland Hidev Jordan Smith M’Comhs Sullivan M’Tlvrido Veitch M’Kay Wilford Paip.s. Noes. —Luke, Burnett, Williams, Girling, Rhodes, T.W., Potter, laitt,. Nash, Witty. Ayes.—Horn, Howard, Ngnta, Ransom, Lye, Murdoch, Lee, Fraser, Thomson.