VISIT OF WARSHIPS

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1935, Page 7

VISIT OF WARSHIPS

REQUEST BY NEW PLYMOUTH NOT INCLUDED IN ITINERARY, Rear-Admiral Burges Watson in an official letter to the New Plymouth Borough Council intimated that he had received a detailed programme of the Australian squadron’s visit to New Zealand waters. He regretted that a visit to New Plymouth was not included. The Mayor, Mr. E. R. C. Gilmour, immediately wrote to the Minister in Charge of the Royal Australian Navy, Melbourne, suggesting that although it was realised that the entire squadron could not visit New Plymouth, a visit from H.M.A.S. Australia, H.M;S. Sussex,' or the destroyer flotilla would be greatly appreciated by the people of the town. The itinerary arranged provided for the squadron arriving at Wellington on March 23. The Canberra will proceed to Lyttelton on March 29, and the Sussex to Dunedin two days later. It had been suggested that without interfering with the programme it might be possible for the Sussex to leave Wellington oh the evening of March 28 and spend the next day at New Plymouth—or, as an alternative, that as New Plymouth was the port nearest to Australia the destroyer, flotilla might spend March 29 at New Plymouth and still arrive at Sydney very : near the scheduled time.

Mr. Gilmour pointed out New Plymouth citizens would greatly appreciate the visit, and he felt sure that the bond of friendship established between Australia and New Plymouth by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and the late Mr. C. T. P. 1 Ulm would be greatly strengthened..