NAVY LEAGUE.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18347, 2 April 1925, Page 10

NAVY LEAGUE.

ANNUAL MEETING. Xh& annual meeting of the Canterbury branch of the Navy League was held ]a-st night, Mr J. J. Dougall presiding 1 over a. ■gcod attendance. The annual report and balance-sheet, of winch, a summary' has appeared, were taken as read. ~ chairman, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, briefly referred to the Dominion Conierence .of the League, held i:i Dunedin. Commenting oi: the fact that the membership of the branch showed a slight decrease, he Bftid that some business men had given him as the reason i'or ceasing their membership that since, the peace and the Washington Conference there was no necessity for the League. That reason did not appeal to him, and a more erroneous idea did not, in hira opinion, exist. The Washington Conference decisions affected only the building of -battleships, and at present there were two nations who were building cruisers at a much faster rate than Groat Britain. : The policy laid down in respect of Asiatic. immigration must ' hurt the, pride of a certain Asiatic nation; that nation had acquiesced as far as Great Britkin wee concerned but, more than once, had ehown a great deal, of anger with the United States.. In his opinion ue" should he prepared for eventualities and therefore he ana members generally- were pleased with the decision of the present British Government to go on with the Singapore base. Dealing with the necessity tor aircraft, he expressed the opinion that the money spent on the refresher course at Sockburn could be more, profitably spent to operate aircraft at sea.

Mr W. J. Cracroft-Wilson seconded tk> motion, which was agreed ;<o.

Officers were elected as follows:—President, Mr J. J. Dougall; -vice-president, Mr W. 'Walton; honorary treasurer, Mr I'. H. Foster; honorary auditor, Mr H. T. Whittingham; General Committee, Mesdames Norton Francis, H. T. -J. Thacker, F. Marrie, A. E.' Smith, H. Wyatt, Misses'C. L. : Creswell, and Sanders, Lieut.-Comman-ders H. B. Anderson, A. D Boyle, A. M. Tebbs, Messrs A. K. Anderson, H. L. Bowker, ,T. R. Quill, B. Seth-Smith, H. 8.. Smith, W. J. Cracroft-Wilson, E. H. Wyles, H. Woolf, D. Manson, Lieut. C. H. Kersley, and; Rev. A. H. Norris.

A vote of thanks was accorded the secretary, Mr C. J. Treleaven, and his staff. ~ Lieut.-Commander Av M. Tebbs gave' an interesting address' in which he detailed his experiences in submarine E2O in the Dardanelles, which made two attempts to reach Constantinople, the shelling of which city was the submarine's objective. A vote" of thanks was accorded Lieut.Commander Tebbs for his interesting address. ■

Songs, were given by Mr T. M. Charters and Mra Chennells; and selections on the 'cello were given by Miss Mitchell. The accompaniments for the vocalists were played by. Mrs Russell and Miss Johnston. A vote of thanks was accorded tho vocalists and instrumentalists.

Several motion pictures were shown, including one entitled "Secret of Submarine Hunting.." Afterwards supper was provided.