WELLINGTON TOPICS

Waikato Times, Volume 96, Issue 15025, 23 August 1922, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

NAVAL DEFENCE.

SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, Monday

In the House on Friday night the Prime Minister initiated a discussion on naval defence by quoting certain portions of a communication he had received from the Admiralty setting out the naval policy by which New Zealand could best serve the interests of the Empire. The policy was a fairly comprehensive one. It included the maintenance of the nucleus of a seagoing squadron during the period of financial stringency which could be rapidly expanded into a fleet of light cruisers and ocean-going 'submarines when the times improved; assistance to the Empire in equipping naval bases either by financial contributions or by the supply of material, and the provision of bases, docks, depots and reserves of stores and fuel for vessels maintained by New Zealand. These suggestions, Mr Massey explained, embodied the opinion of the men best qualified to judge as to the needs of the situation. All that was required could not be done at once, but the recommendations of the Admiralty indicated the goal the Dominion should keep in view. If it were going to do its duty in the matter of defence it should lean on Ihe Mother Country no longer.

Impressions,

Neither the leader of the Liberal Opposition nor the leader of the Labour Parly seemed to be fully prepared for the discussion of the policy forthwith. Mr Wilford, however, after talking generalities, pointed out that the Washington Conference had placed no limitation on the employment of aircraft in war and that the rapid development of deadly machines of destruction overhead might largely minimise the value of navies. It was a subject needing very grave consideration. Mr Holland, wiio appeared to be more sanguine than did most of the other speakers of the decrees of the Washington Conference being made effective, regretted that both aircraft and submarines had not been prohibited. The next war, lie said, would see the merciless extermination of- civilised communities by deatii in the most horrible forms rained upon them from the air. The Minister of Education, the Hon. C. J. Parr, carried the discussion back to stereotyped lines, urging the creation of a powerful Pacific lleet largely maintained by Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Most of the members of the House preferred to defer their remarks on the subject till the debate on the Budget, but there was no indication that the idea of a local fleet had evoked any great enthusiasm.

The Lords' View.

Earlier in the day the members of the Legislative Council discussed the subject from a somewhat different angle on the motion for the second reading of the Naval Defence Amendment Bill. The majority of the speakers, without shedding any fresh light on the mailer, emphasised the duty of New Zealand to bear a larger share of the burden of naval defence, not Jfcnly by contributing more money, but also by training more men for the service. Many references were made to the national traditions and to the Dominion's duty to the Empire, but scarcely a word was said about the lessons of the great war. Sir Thomas Mackenzie provided the exception among his fellow-members in this respect. He doubted whether the money spent on a local navy could not be better employed by the Imperial authorities in the protection of the whole Empire. As for New Zealand's own protection, it had been shown in the English Channel that aircraft was a very efficient defence against naval attack, and it was along these lines that the Dominion's local efforts should proceed. Sir Thomas quoted high authorities in support of his contention, but the majority of tiie lords were for the local navy and the training of seamen.