“BOTH ARE ESSENTIAL"

Taranaki Daily News, 5 September 1935, Page 7

“BOTH ARE ESSENTIAL"

AIR FORCE AND WARSHIPS PROTECTION OF TRADE ROUTES. LEAGUE OF NATIONS AN IDEAL. MUST HAVE THE THREAT OF FORCE By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. “An air force can never displace the sea-borne forces of the Navy in the protection ©f the great ocean trade routes of the Empire,” said Commodore the Hon. E. R. Drummond, officer commanding the New Zealand division of the Royal Navy, in an address at the annual meeting to-night of the Auckland branch of the Navy League.. “This is a most important point, for there are many who would lead us to believe that the Air Force has displaced the Navy. Th© truth is that both are essential to our safety,” The commodore added that each service had separate functions and t° compare their relative importance was to draw an invidious distinction. By fighting ships only could protection be afforded to th© merchant ships that carried New Zealand commerce the length and breadth of the Empire, The Navy League had always realised this and it had worked hard to educate the public to the peed of maintaining a suitable naval strength. The League of Nations was an ideal. It was doing wonderful work, but to maintain peace it must have the threat Of force behind it to back it UP. Unfortunately it had not now got it. The motto “If you want peace prepare for war” held good in. the present day. That th© world situation was about as serious as it could be was realised by everybody, continued Commodore Drummond. At the moment Italy was the storm centre, but Japan, with her claim to naval parity and activities in the Far East, and Germany which was rearming and would shortly be asking for the return of her pre-war colonies, caused great concern to th© British Empire. “We ar© faced with a situation with which at present w© have not the strength to ©ope," he said, “As always after a great war th© cry is for peace. Great Britain, to prove her sincerity, disarmed apd set an ’ example that unfortunately other nations ©ply discussed and did not whole-heartedly fellow, with the result that we find ourselves in this most serious situation." Ip regard to th© air the Government was taking steps,, to produce adequate forces and this important arm was being brought up to a suitable standard of strength. Need 1 for an adequate air force to protect London and other great cities was at once apparent, but the fact that unless Great Britain had an adequate Navy members of the public would not get their food was more difficult to bring home.