LORD JELLICOE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16448, 31 May 1919, Page 3

LORD JELLICOE.

WELCOMED IN SYDNEY. By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. SYDNEY, May 30. The warship New Zealand, with Lord Jellicoe aboard, has arrived. The city is en fete. Lord Jellicoe was accorded a magnificent reception. WELCOME AT PERTH. A LESSON OP THE WAR. PERTH, May 15. Lord and Lady Jellicoe, with the Admiral’s staff and a number of officers and ratings of the warship New Zealand, arrived at Perth by special train from Albany at about noon yesterday, and received a most enthusiastic welcome. At the reception, Lord Jellicoe, on rising to respond to the toast of his health, was received with continuous cheering. He said it was difficult for him to express adequately his appreciation of the welcome. Albany’s heartiness could hardly he excelled. Lord Jellicoe went on to say that in 1914 there was the hunting down of the German cruisers from. China. It was as if looking for a needlo in a haystack. The work of guarding the avenues of trade in all directions on tiie Indian and China routes required the disposal of vessels everywhere. But the enthusiasm of the people and the volume of their applause were indications that the navy was popular and was honoured in Perth'. This great welcome, however, was not so much personal, but to the representative of the Empire’s navy, in which the Australian unit bore a most honourable part. The navy on the outbreak of war had a task of difficulty to meet in the Pacific. The numbm- of vessels in that part of the world, though greater than that of the German forces, had very many interests to protect. Then there was the work of helping the gallant sister service which the navy was always proud to undertake in the Australian expendition io Papua and the New Zealand one to Samoa, which necessitated the dispersal of forces for convoy. Later, the navy had the honour of escorting the Australian military contingents which had won imperishable laurels on the battlefields of Europe. The gallant Craddock endeavoured to stop and damage the German Pacific Squadron raiders in the potion off the Chilian coast. The result of that fight against odds was Admiral von Spec s squadron was delayed until Admiral Sturdee’s fleet reached the Falkland Isles in time to utterly obliterate the German squadron. The .entry of Japan into the war did, to a certain extent, relieve the work, hut even then it was not possible td stop these depredations of the raiders Wolf and See Adler. That was a lesson to the dominions’ forces. It was a lesson in that, although it was the duty of the main fleet in the main theatre of the war to crush the enemy’s naval forces, it was also essentia! that we should have guarding our world-wide trade strong cruiser forces. Australia had realised that, and it was to be hoped that she and the other dominions would not only continue to realise it but would see that the strength of Britain’s naval forces were kept up to such a mark of efficiency that in future there would he no doubt whatever about the protection of our world-wide trade.