BATTLESHIP FUNCTION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIX, Issue 17, 23 April 1913, Page 6

BATTLESHIP FUNCTION.

GOVERNMENT LUNCHEON TO OFFICERS. CAPTAIN HALSEY’S DOUBLE ROLE. Captain Halsey and the officers of H.M.s. New Zealand were entertained by the Government at a luncheon at Wellington last week. The Prime Minister (Hon. V\. F. Massey) presided, and amongst some 300 guests were several Cabinet Ministers, members of both branches of the legislature, heads of departments of the Civil Service, judges of the Supreme Court, and officers of the Territorials. The general tone of the function was one of patriotism and loyalty, the speeches of both the Premier, and Captain Halsey being punctuated by outbursts of enthusiasm. After the usual loyal toasts had been honoured, Mr. Massey proposed the toast of “ the Governor,” in the course of which, he said that the Earl and Countess of Liverpool had been in New Zealand but a few months, yet it was already evident that when their time came to leave the Dominion they would rank with some of the most popular representatives of the King who had ever come to New Zealand.

“ There may be some division of opinion as to the manner in which the people of New Zealand should take up the burdens of Empire; but there is no difference as to our feelings regarding the maintenance of the supremacy of the Imperial Navy or as to any other Imperial matter,” said the Prime Minister, in proposing the toast of “ The Navy,” coupled with the name of Capt. Halsey. "I am glad to be able to say,* continued Mr. Massey, " that what has happened during recent years has had the effect of bringing the different countries of the British Empire more closely

together into a stat* of preparedness for any possible antagonist, whether that antagonist should appear in the North Sea or the South Pacific, and it’ we are to keep control of the seas anl oa our holding the empire ot the sea depends to a very great extent—almost altogether—the existence of the great Empire of which we form a part, then, I say, there must be no holding back; there must be no halting between two opinions. Every part of the Empire and every individual must be prepared to do his duty. (Applause.)

EVERY SHIP IMPERIAL. “It may suit some parts of the Empire to build and man their own warships, but if the time of trouble conies, at the first shot fired in anger or hostility, every British ship should become an Imperial ship under Imperial control. That is the only way to safety. Personally, I am one of those who believe that the British Empire will last till the end of time —(applause)—but, for all that, if the Empire as going to last it will only be by 'having in our waters a sufficient number of ships and officers and men to man them. I believe we have a sufficient number of fighting ships in the northern hemisphere to hold their own against possible enemies, but there are people who are doubtful—and I am one of them—whether we have sufficient to hold our own in the Pacific. That is a question to be faced. It will have to be faced in the very near future, but I am certain that British patriotism and pride of race will find a way to solve the problem.” (Applause.) PULSING WITH IMPERIALISM. Upon the toast being called, the band struck up "Rule Britannia,” the whole company singing the refrain. When it had been honoured a party of Maori chieftains and Mr. Parata, Maori member for the South Island, showed their hearty approval of Imperial sentiments with characteristic touch, a war dance, subdued, of course, with polite regard for the limitations to the 'Surroundings, Te Heuheu, of Taupo, dressed like his comrades in a beautiful Maori mat, led the dance, flourishing the handiest weapon, a table k'»fe. THE SHIP AND HER DESTINY. Several hundred visitors, principally ladies, listened to the speeches from the gallery, and when Captain Halsev rose to reply they heartily joined in the ovation which greeted him. The gallant officer thought it necessary to apologise in case he could not be heard at the back of the large hall, but as he is one of the clearest speakers New Zealanders have heard, and talks in just the tones he must adopt aboard ship in half a gale, there is no difficulty about the large audiences hearing. He said he had seen with a certain amount of regret .something about tlie reception of the New Zealand. He had been in Wellington many times before, but he had never expected such a reception as the New Zealand had received. Something had been said about the firing of guns, and that the gunners were ready to return the salute. Uhder the King’s regulations they could not fire puns on such occasions, lie had seen the enthusiasm displayed by the public, and he unhesitatingly said'on behalf of the officers and men on the ship that they were thoroughly pleased with that, enthusiasm. I he officers and men of the New Zealand would uphold the traditions of Empire so long as they held the trust that had been reposed in them, to enable the ship to fulfil her destiny. HOI Nil AND SLAYER. He broke new ground in speaking of what he called his new and double role as captain of a battle cruiser. “She’s a cruiser and she’s a battleship. It is hard, perhaps, to think so, but both roles have to be carried through. We have to seek out the enemy and destroy it. and should the time come when we should have to be in the foreground of the battle, in every sense of the word, having sought out, and perhaps engaged the enemy, we could retire to our own battle fleet and fight, not as a cruiser, but as a battleship." The captain made it clear that his ship could not be stationed in the Pacific. "There’s nothing good enough for her to fight out Jiere,” was his terse explanation. BUSINESS BEFORE PLEASURE. lie also reminded New Zealanders that simultaneously with all the round of pleasure visits the serious business of keeping the battle cruiser and her complement fit for fighting hud to la- kept fi°*ng. "There .must lie efficiency first tod foremost, therefore I am going to

ask the indulgence of the people of New Zealand to allow us occasionally, not often, when we leave one harbour and before we get to the next, to indulge in practice at a target, so that we shall keep ourselves in readiness to uphold the gteat traditions of the service and the Empire to which we all belong," he said amid long and enthusiastic applause.

LIKE IN BLOOD AND INTERESTS.

In concluding. Captain Halsey spoke of New Zealand as a country having exactly the same interests as the Mother Country. He knew from the time he had spent in New Zealand a few years back, that New Zealanders “inside” were exactly the same as their brethren in the Mother Country, "and why should they not be?” he asked. “You are all chips of the old block. (Hear, hear.) You have exactly the same inside you as the people of the Old Country from which has sprung a great Empire.” (Long and continued applause.) Three cheers for Captain Halsey were given by the company at the call of the Prime Minister. The function concluded with the toasting of Mr Massey’s health at the call of Captain Halsey. After the luncheon Te Heu Heu presented the captain with a much-prized piece of greenstone of great antiquity—a “kuru tangiwai.”