Vessels to be 
used as 
auxiliary war- 
cruisers. 
XXXVI, New Zealand Institute. 
outlay should now be incurred in the direction of providing more 
torpedo-vessels. 
or—though I should be glad to see a man-of-war provided as a 
nucleus for other naval forces—can I advise that the recommendations 
made by some of my naval friends for th» purchase and maintenance 
by the colony of a considerable number of war-cruisers, gun-vessels, 
and torpedo-boats should be acted on. 
In the distant future New Zealand may become—lI venture to 
foretell she will become—a considerable Naval Power; but meanwhile 
she must be content with what her present resources will enable 
her to accomplish. The most practical suggestion that I can now 
make with regard to the provision by the colony of vessels of war is 
to make arrangements for utilizing certain vessels of the Union 
Steamship Company as auxiliary cruisers for local defence. 
More than a year ago I wrote to the authorities in England to 
consult them on this subject, and I find that five of these ships, viz., 
the “ Rotomahana,” the “ Tarawera,” the “ Waihora,” the ** Hauroto," 
and the ** Rotorua " can easily, by additional bulkheads or water-tight 
subdivisions, be rendered capable of complying with the conditious 
as to flotation necessary to qualify them for use as armed cruisers. 
Coal-bunkers can also be arranged in them so as to provide protection 
to the machinery against shot and shell-fire, it having been found by 
experiment that coal will afford a measure of such protection. 
In like manner the * Aorangi,” “ Ruapehu,” and “ Tongariro,” 
belonging to the New Zealand Shipping Company, and two ships of the 
Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company would be available as armed cruisers. 
The diagram before you shows a vessel somewhat of the character 
of the five last-mentioned, fitted with armament, coal protection, and 
other details necessary to constitute her a war-cruiser. The ships 
of the Union Steamship Company would be similarly treated, on a 
scale suitable to their dimensions. : 
Probably, in case of war, the armaments, stores, and fitments 
required for the direct steamship lines would be put on board in 
England. As regards the vessels of the Union Steamship Company, 
however, I would recommend that everything necessary to be placed 
in them in order to constitute them auxiliary cruisers, including 
armament of breach-loading guns and machine guns, should be kept 
in store at one of the principal ports of New Zealand, ready to be 
put on board whenever war appeared imminent. I suggest also that 
arrangements be made with the Union Steamship Company for 
fitting the vessels I have named with the additional bulkheads neces- 
sary to give them the requisite degree of flotation and other fitments 
for war-vessels, 
