The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957)(about) |
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Saturday 22 September 1906
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AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE.
-a._!_
CAPTAIN CRESWELL'S REPORT
Captain Creswell, the Commonwealth Director of Naval Forces, on August 6 last furnished the Minister of Defence (Senator Playford) with a report on his recent visit to England. The report was laid on the table of the House of Representatives
yesterday.
On his passage to England, Captain Creswell planned the following scheme of work:
(1) to inquire into construction and cost of all classes of torpedo craft; (2) to see torpedo craft at work, in commission and reserve; (3) to visit all training establish- ments gunnery, torpedo, and signalling. On the question of torpedo craft, the Naval Director states that, speaking as a Naval Officer, and not as a Naval architect and engineer, there does not seem to him to be anything in the building of torpedo boats or destroyers above the engineering capacity of a people that has arrived at our engineeiing standard. Captain Creswell
continues:-
in as far as engineering capacity and the ne ability of our mechanics is concerned, there seemed nothing insuperable, but there are of course, other and weight points to be considered. From the defence point of view, it is required: (1) that we shall have torpedo craft, and it is advantageous that (2) we shall be able to build them in Australia; and (3) have the power to renew, repair or replace. Against this, we have
(a) in the present conditions of the iron and steel trade , need to be imported; (b) wages are lhigher in Australia. Now, although all material must be imported, a measure of self- dependence would be achieved by our being able to repair or perhaps renew, all boats locally, considerably extending their term of usefulness. The higher end of labour in Australia would be counter-balanced to some extent by the expenditure on wages remaining in Australia. trail i The replica of il e builder» as lo ii « pncllinbllili if lulldlng in Vuslralla i-s-r.t tarious inillioil« of carnlnc out lilla nor« *vll are airrce 1 on t ne point, thal Hie Brat step i r
ic__rt is the proiision of molds le, tr»_e!s romplcle an I built In Tnt-Lin I to Is» u««ii _, ao|ies out here Tills course should be sdnptrd an I at Hu «.une time then should lae appointed j eoniniltiee tf fiisiuffrs and nain! architects lo In nuire into and report tipnn building In Australia The fullest abantaare can only be ol talncd ii n.
can prodnie our oin Iron and steel "
V neu mid hold departure in torpe«! i Clift «onurnclion Iinji ju«t rorrnlh bein innile bt the Vdmirnltt, Captain trestle I -tates Onginallt the destrotor ni« «li signed i« an mtuioio to the tonic lo-lmal smh fi«t mil nsifid 1 nie tisth hi.ti enr soon showed thei Ind i wide rin.c i
«nure anti at once vicio ii«ed on work i c lontemphtid when lirst di-igmd rniiub oiun si i -uviei with «leets To a 11 n tluir -oigoing power, thev beeitne lirgir mil lni(,ir in tonnngt» -«innlirlt the h i rlass torpedo bolt In« now becotiu onli 1« ss in toomgo md «les-.gii thin the c irli dirtroicr» Hie Jir». r verni Im n , le .mother advitice in tuningc nnd is cili.il tin o«em ih-«tiovir ' In the on mon ol the mvil director tin« viouitl li i line ve»«d for Vii-tnhm «ci«-tonna;
SOO «peel, "»I knot« Ile riroric« 1 , opinion on Hie enasLii <le«t_oiir lu Vu-lriln tie have no pirilld (o the nu i nur eompnraüvelv «month «eis round tin I nit« «I kingdom The greit dipirtiirc i« «tiled lo be the exclusive n-e of n] fuel
The itewe-t Vdiniriilv |ui*pcdo traft burn
oil mil onlv
On the question of «ubmannc« Ciptim On »ti eil repon» that lie n» mam un 1er inn«lnietion and ntloit, Mlhoiigh lalor ex penence of these (rift qinhlicd his nliolb (idttr-e opinion of theireflnienet, he ' inileil lo »te nnv useful puliio-c thev eould »erie» iii Mi»trihfln sea« Ile further slate« -
Thflr tlrfcmf «ailie I, »till a nurittnn Vfeilr dillans! lsi_.li auilinrltle» dlftcriig a« lo their «ut nerahlllti 11 counter attack ManirutTC« cr rv
pcrfiiicnls subjecting Hiern lo extreme tests cannot lie attempt«., except at ihr risk of certsin di-aih lo «ni marine crews, slioull any anti submarin
plan (or lluir dlsablrmra! sutcecd For Hie | n»<nt tlu ir actual war vline mu« remain large*, lndrtrr mínate, to lie wire«! onl) In war "
Xote» arc giicn of a visit paid to tntnmg estibli.-limi'iits in gnnnen, to«*px-ilo, and s ¡. milling. Notwithstanding wireless tile graph). jiigcon es-tnbhsliment« ore »Hil kej"
tip, and the pigeon» have a wide range ot
Usefulness
Hcferrmg to " Vuslndia'« need of «o» force," Cnjitani C*re«roill «.ivsi -
"In recent «ears the lloval ni», has larrn trcl le ! In strength has laren cninplartch réorganisai»-, i tnleht »at rmolutlonlsxil-to meet tin- nrwrr cr
illtlon« ni war It 1« this spirit of adunar anl widening field of «len whlrli will brim; about a lietler iinderstinding of the natal «lUrsUan In Vu Iralla and a change from Ihe old allbudi tf nr.a lion lo one of pcitfi-r ali! and eneourar-eniuii
Thl« Is, 1 llilnk, crruln Hil« great adíame In natal »nnament« and methods, and ihe ginrral «tandan! to daj e( naval srlen« aliow up in un fortunate txintnisl the effeci on our otm (orce» f (lie tear» of s!agn«lion an,! rrtrrnchrnrnl (ornsl upon them sim«» IS)*«. Prior lo tliat Urne Vii.irj lian nervio» w-rrr In Hue with natal a imam, ou »nil nirlhod« ol their da> in (he Boial naï> since lint time w-e líate lallen sleadll. behind thr .tai
i ard of the da» »nd f**n our own of ii rears sen when the «tate naval (orce« «sere rfllrirnt anl,
placed «» Ihr) wrrr at the entrance door lo He »tates, xveie (air specimen« ol national erllciinci There is. cons«i|iirnllc murh lost -rrounl to n
co«er The opiioriunlUc» of Ibis (wo awl a t alf month»- tour hare, I ho|ir, betn availed « t to il e fullr»! The Inlonnallon gained lu» conllrmc«! anl «trengtlienisl the opinion« set forth in ni) prnlm s return as to Hie drfrnef ««lue of torpedi .rall
and their dine»« lo meet the special condition, cf
our defence "
Captain Creswell claim« thal the defence bj torpeJo traft offer* the following ndtuii.
tuges -
The most valuable auxiliar, lo the tcft atj.
Honed In Ibes«« ».*». ., _. . ,
In Hie »Wnio el Hie fleet Hie mott eírciim
aJlll.tlilllr
li preient» bloeksilr of ojr pens.
II compel« stuck on our |»n» to ty I « «Ui
lieht, when «he moat elTcetiv« re)!) «au l«s | . mad. I» lb» l«n«l drfenee«.
I It «nmiifl« re n-Jt laeiW striking dlitame
(rom ports ol torpedo crsll.
It keen« touch with the enemy, .simmunlrait»
Inlflbgewce of Id« P-ltl "i. tau« ptrtnulns iiniu_e>«arv rex-tlon of traille al part» Is ) ntl rrarh o( «Itack.
It lut» alwluirls boon, rtiaaibllitt «f al
tempt an) landing Irom raiding crulir« nra
our «aorta
Tie posslbllit« of «Hack I'J* slfstnurr» Inn
an of our sli«ll>wslrauglit Inlet, r mar« » mid keep trulscr« OS our coastal Hack« at
nl.ht
Tit night walcliftilnem eni<»rce«l on a «rulir I t mr «ilililii the inhere of ile»iro»rr »Hi t I«
a »train Hut will not lo cndurnl tim ' under n<vcs»it«
[ ( upturn < n-well eonteni-i that to make
up for the )io«»ibililv of the nain lim»' . «tit.ii.mnn t<» oilier seas ive slioul I gra
ibrnll» on »te «en |hiwit iii «luatmlii anl I linn» muid not, he sai», under our proent
inudiiioiis. In» i lutter mian» oí initiaiu». 1 «u h u juillet Iban n torpedo d«fenn» .'» [>r s
no« d Hi« »duino for the proUMon « 11 ¡li- nn in tit »linn m I« di-trover« of Hu
Hivir' ilu»s. and four iin»tsla»« U»iT«sl )«? H. would mt ok« an expenditure; «
ki MO Ililli lill« I« an iiirTtsi»« «.»."" I mi llie ii" «.iiuii i «límalo it i»c I on liter iii 'form itnm »omi , bnngt. v« i r. found in - »
»,,t 'lb. diiiii.t.r» lift for Hi» 'I»
Mivi t» mi moil p'Wirfiil vi-el» »lil « .' i muli mid tin »mu '. n pi«-iib It''1' " <.
i i.t »»Hit nr*l «li»« uirp« I »Is. ti»