The Rev 



EDITED BY 



EVIEWS 



HENRY STEAD. 



SEPTEMBER, 1913. 



THE PROGRESS OF THE WORLD. 



Visit of British IVI.P's. 



The two most important happenings 

 in Australia during September will be 

 the visit of the British M.P's. and the 

 arrival of H.M.A.S. "Australia." The 

 Parliamentary visitors can spend a bare 

 three weeks here, but during that time 

 they will be able to get a good idea of 

 Australia and Australians, a knowledge 

 which will be invaluable to them, and 

 also for the Commonwealth, when they 

 are again in the old country. Such visits 

 are bound to do good. The more the 

 home folks see of us and our great coun- 

 try, and the more we see of them and 

 the homeland, the more the Empire will 

 be cemented. All honour to those who 

 have worked so unremittingly to bring 

 about such visits. It would be a wise 

 policy to arrange for them at regular 

 and frequent intervals. 



Our Flagship. 



The arrival of the Dreadnought-crui- 

 ser, which will become the flagship of 

 the Australian navy, is an outstanding 

 event in our annals. The fleet, decided 

 on some years ago, is at last actually 

 in being, and has in H.M.A.S. "Aus- 

 tralia " one of the most powerful battle- 

 ships in the world. Admiral Sir George 



Patey is certain of an enthusiastic wel- 

 come, which will exceed even his experi- 

 ence at Capetown. The battle-cruiser 

 displaces 18,800 tons, is armed with 

 eight 12-inch guns, sixteen 4-inch guns, 

 and two J i -inch torpedo tubes. She is 

 protected by a belt of eight inches to 

 four inches in thickness, w^ith lo-inch 

 armour on the turrets. Her sea speed is 

 26 knots. Although she represented the 

 last word in battleship design when she 

 was laid down, so rapid is the advance 

 made in naval construction that she is 

 already out of date as compared with at 

 least six battleships now^ launched or 

 nearing completion ! 



Can She Get In? 



Her arrival will again bring up the 

 question of the depth of Port Phillip 

 harbour. According to present plans the 

 flagship will go straight to Sydney, but 

 at some time she will have to visit Mel- 

 bourne, (^an she pass the Heads safely ? 

 She draws more than the " New Zea- 

 land " did, and her difficulty is not for- 

 gotten. No doubt in certain states of the 

 tide in calm water, and with fairly 

 empty bunkers, she can enter Port 

 Phillip. Hut lunv parlous would be her 

 jiosition supposing she had l^en in 



