VALUE OF SEA POWER.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 August 1921, Page 4

VALUE OF SEA POWER.

IMPORTANCE TO THE EMPIRE. POSITION OF THE DOMINIONS. SPEECH BY GOVERNORGENERAL. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Governor-General (Lord Jellicoe), was the guest of honor of the New Zealand Club at a luncheon to-day, and he delivered a stirring utterance on the importance of sea power to the Empire. In regard to Australia and New Zealand, Lord Jellicoe said New Zealand was dependent for the whole of her export® ar.d imports on sea transport, and of her iin ports 80 per cent, came from the United Kingdom and 92 per cent, of exports went to that destination. Their total value *n 1913 was about. £22,000,000 each. Taking the case of Australia, he said the Commonwealth also imported 80 per cent, of her total imports from the United Kingdom and sent there 60 per cent, of her produce, valued at about £79,000,000 each. The other Dominions were in much the same position, being practically dependent on sea transport, and therefore sea transport was essential for the prosperity of the United Kingdom and the remainder of the British Empire. Lord Jellicoe detailed the manner of carrying out sea transport, and emphasised the importance to the navy of having a valuable reserve of officers and men in the mercantile marine. One of the most important things that lay before the Empire in the future was to inculcate in the rising generation a knowledge of the facts about the dependence of the Empire upon the sea, both as to . its prosperity and its foundations of security. It must be maintained as an axiom that the sea was more than life. His Excellency said it was no use having ships and not having the right sort of spirit to man those ships. This was the sea sense, the foundation of ouf Empire, and without that sea sense the Empire could not continue to endure.