NAVAL DEFENCE

Taranaki Daily News, 20 September 1924, Page 4

NAVAL DEFENCE

NEW ZEALAND’S POLICY. TRAINING OF REGRUITS. DOES IT JUSTIFY COST! By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. A discussion on naval defence arose in the House to-day when the item «n the estimate* of £330,405 for mv»l defence w r aa readied. The Leader of the Oppoaitio© (Mr. T. M. Wilford) said he proposed to diacussed the question of naval recruits, and he proposed to move a reduction of the vote by £1 as an indication that H.M.S. Philomel be scrapped and that naval recruiting be stopped. No one could accuse him of not being an Imperialist, but he was satisfied New Zealand was not a country suitable for securing recruits for the navy, while in Britain there was a large number of young men eminently suitable for the navy. The failure of naval recruiting in New Zealand was proved in that it had cost £50,000 last* year to secure eighty recruits- Commander Hotham, a very able man, had been sent out to blaze the trail, and after combing the South Island only six recruits could bo obtained. He was prepared to assist the Government to keep such a ship as the Dunedin, but he could see no use in the Philomel, which had not fulfilled expectations. FAILURE DENIED, The Minister for Defence (Sir R. Heaton Rhodes) said the recruiting scheme was not a failure. Young men were now coming forward in such numbers as to warrant them in withdrawing the recruiting officer. No one in New Zealand should suggest that, our young men should not enter the navy, as it was an excellent career. Mr. Wilford: We want all our young men in production ot the present tape. Mr. Massey said that although the Philomel was old she was useful as a training depot for recruits and as a home for naval men requiring temporary accommodation. New Zealand could produce seamen as good as any produced in Britain. New Zealanders had volunteered splendidly for coastal defence work and for mine sweepers around the British coasts. Our young native men also made excellent qeamen, as was proved by the voyages made by the Polynesians in the olden days. Mr. Wilfonl said he and the Prime Minister agreed on the noed for the full defence of the Empire, but they disagreed on the method. He did not. qrestion the maintenance of the cruiier Dunedin, which was necessary, but ha questioned whether the method of expending the naval vote was the best one that could be adopted. The Philomel was useless. Japan had twenty-two cruisers with a speed nf two to thnee knots faster than any British cruiser in Eastern waters and we must not Ignore a possible Japanese menace. Money spent on naval recruiting was practically a failure. Our ships could ba manned by English sailors, thus finding employment for men who otherwise would be out of work. The Defence Minister emphasised the point that the maintenance of the Philomel obviated the necessity of building barracks for naval men, of whom a certain number must he kept in New Zealand in connection with naval defence, THE LABOUR VIEW. The Leader of the Labour Party (Mr. R. E. Hollad) regretted the element op fear (of Japan) introduced by the Leadep of the Opposition. He considered any* warship New Zealand could hate would be useless if required to stem the advance of an enemy fleet. The present Imperial Government’s foreign policy for a reduction of armaments was the beet defence for this Dominion. Mr. Holland also complained of the activities of the Navy League in carrying on propaganda in the schools of the Dominion. Such propaganda should be confined to men if it was necessary at all. Schools were intended for something other than military juopaganda. He did not believe Japan should lie regarded as a potential enemy.

Mr. Massey said that what New Zealand wanted was defence for onr trade routes and that was the policy approved by the Admiralty. He believed that if we wanted it we could get a second cruiser on the same terms as the Dunedin. A division was taken on Mr. Wilford’a amendment, which was defeated by 32 votes to 26, and the vote was th?»» passed without further discussion.