The Ark

ERIEPP EE By LORD EGREMONT.

MR ENOCH pt)wELI.,

shadow Minister of De- fence, writes in this month's Bunker that the • simple answer to the ques- tion whether we can afford to spend 6; per cent of our national income on defence 'or 40 per cent on purposes determined by

public authorities is: 'Yes, of course, if Britain wants to.'

Well, yes, indeed, of course.

The following arresting news item recently appeared in the ship's daily news sheet in the aircraft carrier Ark Royal:

The six Members of the Lords and Commons on board are being given a full programme of instructions and tours. Sir Eric Errington. former Conservative MP for Bootle and now represent- ing Aldershot. finds 66 years rather a handicap in a quick ascent from 6 deck to 04. The youngest Member is Dr David Owen, 28 (Labour. Plymouth, Sutton), who is a brain specialist interested in mental disorders and votes for 18-year-olds. Mr Alfred' Morris (Labour), who represents Wythenshawe, Man- chester, was born, was at school and at .Uni- versity in. Manchester before teaching at Man- chester Grammar School. His brother. Charles. represents Openshaw Division. Finally, Mr John Smith (Conservative, the Cities Of London and Westminster) is a Director of Rolls-Royce. a Bank and The Financial Times.' He served in the Fleet Air Arm during the war.

The two tall Lords. one educated at Harrow, the other at Eton, are both Conservative. . . .

Lord St Just was one of the lords and I was the other.

You have got to hand it to the Royal Navy for putting up and putting up with people of this sort.

There we were at sea for a week in this huge warship, which was being driven by a splendid officer; Captain Fell. DSO, DSC and Bar, RN.

There was a story that, earlier, a woman had been secreted in the ship at Devonport- ndthing to do N1 jai any of us, I can assure you. The matter had been cleared up before we arrived. Most sailors would reckon that a bun about a woman being on board one of HM ships was a load of old cod,w allop----or a sailor may have misconstrued Ark Royal's motto, which is *DU SIR N.A REPOS..

We sailed from Des import. After rounding the eastern bend of southern England, we went mostly nortlwards, but sometimes southwards, which I found ■,01110\ hat confusing. And all the time esoteric exercise were being practised, the risible signs of which were aircraft taking off and landing on the flight deck.

Years ago. in a now almost forgotten poem, 'The Modern Tra% eller.' Mr Hilaire Belloc rote: Ah. me! the very stokers cheered. And fuzzy with a five days' beard Popped up. and yelled, and disappeared Each in its little hole.

Long after they were out of sight. Long after dark, throughout the night, Throughout the following day, He went on lighting all the time! Not war. perhaps, but how sublime!

Thus on this occasion fought Captain Fell.

Although we sometimes sailed southwards, we never got quite as far south as Cape Verde, where Mr Belloc records in his saga:

We caught a very curious bird

With horns upon its head; And—not. as one might well suppose, Web-footed or with jointed toes— But having hoofs instead.

As no one present seemed to know Its use or name. 1 let it go.

The Royal Navy know how to deal with birds good and proper nowadayS—the feathered as well as the other kind. You know that at the time of the Great Exhibition Queen Victoria complained about the Crystal Palace being in- fested With sparrows and the Duke of Wellington tersely advised. 'Try sparrow hawks, Ma'am.' Well, at the Royal Naval Air Station at Lossie- mouth, where Captain Fell handed us over to the equally splendid Captain Parker, DSO, DSC, RN. they have been bothered by birds interfering with aircraft. They tried falcons. It worked. And there %%e saw the falcons--dressed by the right by a petty officer.

I am not personally qualified to say it, but nevertheless I say it without fear of contradic- tion, that there is in the Royal Navy a higher standard of ability and efficiency than there has ever been before. There is also imagination such as seldom was before. In the Fleet Air Arm, the ability. hardiness. skills, efficiency, bravery and gaiety diluted with common sense are in- tangible and invaluable assets which we and the whole of the free world want. Old ships get more and more awful to live in as more and more new gadgets and more and more men to work them get piled into the ships. Living conditions in HMS Ark Royal are archaic. Im- provements are about to be made.

But, with people like Captain Fell and Captain Parker available to help, a new aircraft carrier would be much more than - an investment in national security: it would also be a worth- while investment in"the.development of human character and skills and would pay a dividend beyond defence.