THE BRITISH NAVY.

West Coast Times, 12 April 1912, Page 3

THE BRITISH NAVY.

STATIONING OF THE SHIPS. ;PKS PRESS ASSOCIATION.— cOPYEIGHT J LONDON, April 10.—The Morning Post’s Naval correspondent states it will be interesting to sec whether the cruisers Australia and New Zealand sail for Australasia at the end of the year. The best opinion has long been that the only justification for such ships is the ability to use them as a fast wing of the battle fleet. During the Navy debate the Hon. W. Churchill referred to the necessity of a certain proportion of vessels of the greatest speed and highest power being used to turn the enemy’s line, or bring the hostile fleet into action, or compel a retreating fleet to abandon a portion of their force in preference to partaking of a general engagement-. LONDON, April 10.—Hon. W. Churchill’s description of the duties of a battle cruiser makes it obvious that the service which battle cruisers will render was misunderstood when the Admiralty sanctioned the Australia and the Now Zealand joining the fleet of units with only three second-class cruisers. In the event of the words which the Admiralty put into the Hon. W. Churchill’s mouth not being the whole, there is no immediate prospect of the battle fleet lieing required in the Far East, hence it appears that the cruisers Australia and New Zealand are unsuitable to be stationed where the former Board of Admiralty proposed thev should bo sent.