The Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. "Luceo Non Uro.” WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1933. THE WORLD UNSETTLED

Southland Times, Issue 22131, 27 September 1933, Page 4

The Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. " Luceo Non Uro.” WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1933. THE WORLD UNSETTLED

It is impossible to disregard the new movement in connection with defence. The British Government, on the advice of the Admiralty, is strengthening the British Navy, particularly in those classes of warships designed to protect the trade routes. During the Great War, it quickly became obvious that in spite of the tremendous naval strength under the White Ensign, there were not enough ships to guarantee the food supplies of the Old Country, and, when the submarine campaign was launched, the destroyer squadrons were hopelessly inadequate. At one time, owing to the demands made upon destroyers for anti-submarine work and for the protection of convoys, the Grand Fleet was sadly lacking in this type of vessel. Should another naval war break upon the Empire, the necessity for protecting the trade routes will be as great, probably even greater than it was between 1914 and 1918, and the Admiralty, which is concerned not with political questions but with the possibilities

associated with naval defence, must look ahead and ensure that the naval strength available is, as far as possible, adequate to the demands that will be made upon it. ‘ Although the recent manoeuvres in which the Royal Air Force was supposed to have totally defeated the raid by the naval force, which apparently consisted of a naval ship and three capital ships and their attendants, may lead to the opinion that aeroplanes can hold off any naval force, the fact remains that aeroplanes cannot protect the trade routes and may be answered by a more extensive use of aeroplanes in conjunction with the raiding warships. It is impossible to reproduce in peace time the actual conditions of war, and it would be wrong to assume too much for the aeroplanes as a result of these tests. Theoretically, the submarine was a deadly weapon, capable of destroying the most powerful of the service vessels; but during the Great War the submarine as an implement of offence's against surface warships was peculiarly ineffective, and its chief use was that of commercial destroyer, and even in this capacity the submarine found that defensive measures could be developed, cutting down the destructive power of the surface boat enormously. All over the world it is abvious that expert opinion, though recognizing the great potentialities of the aeroplane, does not rule out the surface ship as a means of offensive or defensive action. In the United States there has been a speeding up in warship construction. France and Italy are building new vessels, and Britain, as we have said, is strengthening her naval armaments. When attention is turned to the Pacific, it is found that the Japanese are keeping their navy up to full strength, and that the Americans are watchful on their side of the ocean. Australia has now come into line and is strengthening her defences, naval and military, under a policy designed to make co-operation between Australia, New Zealand and the British forces effective. The implication of these general activities should not be overlooked. After a long term of peace, the world is again unsettled. and among those who presumedly have reliable information there is the belief that while war is not imminent, the possibility of a conflict cannot be ignored. There is no indication of any move in New Zealand, but it is quite possible that before long something will be done along these lines. The League of Nations stands still as the world’s strongest buttress of peace, but the work of the League has been halted to a great extent by the national ebullitions which have been manifest in the old world and in the new. Europe is more unsettled than at any other time since 1918, and in the Far East events are shaping themselves in such a way as to suggest that all the materials for a conflagration are increasing. Throughout the world there has been a general desire to avoid war at any cost, but the rise of the militant nationalism in various countries cannot be regarded with other than anxiety, and when we see the nations again turning their attention to their arms, we can be sure that the military and naval experts, who have their own sources of information, and who are not concerned with that brand of politics which aims at • pleasing the masses, have reason for believing that there are grave possibilities of a disturbance in the world’s peace before many years have passed.