CENTRE OF NAVAL GRAVITY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16672, 27 February 1925, Page 9

CENTRE OF NAVAL GRAVITY.

IDEAL SAFEGUARDS. AN EXPERT’S SUGGESTIONS. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received Felb. 27, 3 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 26. The naval correspondent, of the Evening Standard, discussing the impending naval conference at Singapore, says: Three zones from which the commanders of ships have been drawn constitute an area, into which the; world’s centre of naval gravity is slowly shifting by reason of track') importance. The ideal safeguard would be an Imperial eastern fleet, jointly created by Britain. Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and India, but such a fleet, to bo adequate, would cost two hundred millions, or forty millions to each contributor. Therefore, it is an ideal beyond the reach of Exchequers, though perhaps each will ultimately have its own fleet, coalescing into a strategic whole when needed. In the meantime the host attainable substitute is a decision to allocate the Eastern waters to cruisers like the Vindictive and Kent classes, with Australia’s new ten thousand tenners, which are suitable for long patrols and trade protection. also available; but in order to offset the present opposing capital ships there must later bci a buttle squadron, having the advantage of training constantly in wallers in its own sphere. The chief" difficulty at present is lack of docks, except at Bombay, Singapore, and Hongkong, but that is not insuperable.