LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20828, 21 September 1929, Page 14

LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVE

POPULARITY OF THE . NAVY. A. BETTER CLASS OF RECRUITS. (Special to Daily Times.) , AUCKLAND, September 20. “ The navy was never more popular in England than it is to-day, and the standard of recruits is really higher than before the war. It is regrettable tlia, owing to ■ the extensive ■ refittings planned for the cruisers Diomede and Dunedin, the recruiting of New Zealanders must cease for about two years,” said Commodore Geoffrey Blake, D. 5.0., the .new commodore of the New Zealand Division of- the Royal Navy after his arrival from Wellington in the flagship Dunedin; ... Recruits in great numbers were coming forward to join the navy in Great Britain, and there Was nt difficulty' in securing men of the highest standard, said the commodore. ' A factor, of course, was the, extent of unemployment . through which the navy was benefiting by being given a wider choice than ever. Why should not the navy he popular? h«-asked, since to-day it ranked as one of the very 1 best professions open to young men. Good pay, liberal leave, and really in the main a good time, offered attractions enough. It was an unpleasant necessity that the recruiting of New Zealanders must cease lor the next two years, but the Diomede would leave -‘OH October 1 for England, via Panama,, to refit and would not be ready to return to the ■ NeW Zealand station until about October of next year. Then the Dunedin would be sent Home for the same,purpose. . . Recruiting, in New, Zealand had attained fair proportions, and last year' G 8 men had , been accepted. However,- although tlie brake must he applied temporarily, the one,cruiser remaining in New, Zealand waters would continue to carry out • exercises on the usual plan, and next March the New Zealand naval and military forces would carry out combined manoeuvres at Akaroa. Probably the air arm of the Dominion forces would ’ join the navy and military in these exercises, and ;.it was quite likely that when the Hobsonville air base was fully established manoeuvres would be carried out at Auckland by fighting aircraft and cruisers in conjunction. . It was very doubtful whether the Dunedin and the Diomede would ever carry aircraft, although it was an interesting- fact that they had originally been designed to do so. Before the completion of the vessels, however, it. had been ; decided not to complete plans for the catapultlaunching apparatus on each, although part of the semi-constructed platforms remained.

The New Zealand cruisers-were really quite modern in type and armament, more so than some other light cruisers in regular service with the British fleets, and the remainder of their class were doing duty at present with the Atlantic fleet. The first cruise of the Dunedin under her new command .Would commence on October 2, when the cruiser would leave for Akaroa, Lyttelton, - and Dunedin.