AUSTRALIA'S NAVY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14400, 23 March 1911, Page 6

AUSTRALIA'S NAVY.

ADMIRAL HENDERSON'S CHIEF RECOMMENDATIONS. A Sydney paper thus summarises Admiral Henderson's naval report: — The complete Australian lleet shoulu | "be composed of 52 vessels in all; b < luinourod cruisers, 10' protected cruisers., 18 destroyers, 12 submarines, o depot ships for flotillas, and one fleet repair ship. About 15,000 officers and men will b.? needed altogether. Tho fleet would be divided into an eMtern and a western division, eacu under an admiral or commodore, and the divisions again into squadrons and flotillas. To man the fleets Australia 1 should be divided into an eastern and a western recruiting area. There would bo two primary base-*, cne (for tho eastern division) at Sydney end one (for the western division) it Fiemantle. There would also be two main recruiting centres, on at Sydney aid one at Melbourne or thereabouts, -oud a number of other bases and subAt Sydney there would also he a ni.val depot and gunnery schools, and si£"njil and wireless telegraphy, and cookery schools, besides the naval college and boys' training ship. There would be a destroyer bases at Fremnntle, Thursday Island, and Port "Western, submarine bases at Fremantk* Port Stephens, and Port Lincoln, and fleet secondary bases' at Thursday Island and Port Darwin. Port Western, it is suggested, should ho used as one of the principal anchorages of the Western Division, and as tbo fuel supnly base, until Cockbumr Sound is ready. This latter port, says Admiral Henderson, is far "the more ir portant, from a strategical point of view. The two divisions would not be Kept, even in peace time, always about their own bases and sub-bases. Ships would b® from time to time exchanged, ti give officers and men an opportunity of cetting acquainted with all the Australian waters. And onoe a year tha i two divisions -would meet for fleet tactics and manoeuvres. A Naval Board should be established at once which would be responsible, «js a whole, for the government of the navy. The annual estimates of ox-

poiditinv. as framed bv it, should he sdl.-mble by PurliiimonL aiono. Tho Naval Hoard .should consist cf five members ; tho Minister i'or Defence, ti.*, first naval member (to be a. .senior ofjicer of tho Commonwealth Navy not below the rank of captain), second naval member (to be a senior officer c.l tho Imperial Navy not l>elow tho rank of captain) third naval member (to be a senior officer of tho Commonwealth or Imperial Navy not below the »*ank of captain); finance and civil member {*■.** be a member of Parliament, of tho Senate when the Mini.sr-T is in th«* House of Represents tiv-''«, rind vi< a versa); and a permanent secretary. There should also be a naval 'epro-sont-ative in Loudon, to ly» the channel of communication between the Comxrcnwealth Naval Board and the Homo Hoard of Admiralty. Australia should spend on her flec-.t, says Admiral Henderson, a sura which hoars the same proportion to the Ii perial naval exi>endituro as our population ana oversea commerce bear t<j those of great Britain. On the basis of population alone we should spend four millions a year .>n our fleet, even now. According to tho ether test, we siiould spend more. Tho Admirals proposals are based, then, on the assumption that Australia desires to possess as early as possible a fleet whose annual cost approximates to these proportions. It is recommended that the requirements of the.completed fleet be spread over -a period of "2'2 years. This would divided into four eras, the first or seven years and the others of five each Admiral Henderson emphasises tlu urgent necessity of establishing railway communication between the centres of population, .manufacture, and resources, and Freeniantlo and Port Danvin.