THE NAVY LEAGUE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 43, 20 February 1926, Page 18

THE NAVY LEAGUE.

DOMINION CONFERENCE. COMPLAINT OF APATHY. (By Telegrapb.— Press Association.) DUNEDIN, Friday. The annual conference of the Navy League concluded to-day. The session lasted only three-quarters of an hour and the greater portion 6£ the business was formal. A certain amount of discussion centred round the problem of arousing greater interest in the league. "It is difficult," said the president, Mr. J. J. Dougall, "to make any constant appeal to the general public. To a large extent the public is apathetic. During- the war, of course, people became patriotic and keen, but since then they have reverted to the conditions that existed before the outbreak of hostilities. I myself have known several prominent citizens in Christchureh to say that there is no more use for the Navy League and that there will be no more war and its use has passed away." Mr. McLean: Are they in an asylum? "No, they are in Christchureh," answered the chairman. "We find men, intellectual men, who hold that opinion, and one of our most preeminent members withdrew recently, saying he saw no more use for the league." The speaker compared the British League with the German League, which came into existence in 1901, and which, until the war, had 2,000,000 members. The British figures could not compare with that. It had been suggested that an appeal should be made to the people. That was very admirable, but to whom could they appeal? It had been proposed to hold public meetings, and a.resolution.to that effect had been carried at Nelson some years ago, but it had never come to anything. They had once tried a public function —with disastrous results. They were dubious now of anything like that. "The finest way," he went on, "is through the children and by films. We have films in Christchureh, but do not attempt to enter the schools. Instead, we invite the children to" our halls and talk to them during the screenings. A great deal, however, depends on the headmaster. I know of one secondary school in Christchurch where one of the masters has taken a great "interest in the league, and, as a result, nearly every pupil in the school was a member. He retired on superannuation, and within 12 months there was hardly a member in the school. Pictures are the greatest factor of all, and if we could comI bine our work with films and each i branch could get a machine and inaugurate an exchange system it would keep us going for years to "come." It was decided to hold the next conference in Christchurch.