DEVELOPMENT OF NAVY

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27446, 4 September 1954, Page 2

DEVELOPMENT OF NAVY

ATTENTION DRAWN TO LEAGUE’S OBJECTS

PRECEDENCE OVER SOCIAL ACTIVITIES URGED

Originally the Navy League had been formed to work' for and foster development of the Royal navies of the British Empire. Members of the Canterbury branch of the league should remember these original principles—they were as important today if not more important than they had been on the day of the league’s foundation, said the retiring president of the league (Mr W. S. Mac Gibbon) at the annual general meeting last evening. The social aspect of the league’s activities was important, but action on the original “broad, royal principles," took precedence. The huge and growing strength of the- Soviet Navy was sufficient evidence tn prove this, said Mr Mac Gibbon.

“There is no reason for people to say that the Navy League is dead,” he said. This opinion had been expressed by quite a number of people, including members of the league. This "cancer,” was not helping the organisation at all.

“We have got to make the Navy attractive to the young men of this country by fostering the Sea Cadet movement,” Mr Mac Gibbon said. At the outbreak of World War II the strength of the British Navy was about 100,000 men. "Within a few months that number had risen to 800,000. Those men came from the Sea Cadets and unless they had had the benefit of their training in this organisation they could not have taken their places so quickly. “Napoleon would have conquered the world if he had realised what it meant to control the seas. The Kaiser had the same faith in his land forces and made sure his Navy did not take risks that might lose ships. Hitler did much the same thing. He asked hitmen to tpke -sks, but he did not command the sen. |ai “We have got t u ~eep watch today. Every day we pick up our papers and see reported the great strength that Soviet Russia has given her Navy.” Russia was already showing her flag H 1 the seas to the north of Great Britain. Soon she would be appearing in the Mediterranean.

The need for a strong British Navy was as great as it had ever been Members of the Navy League must do all they could to help the development of this force; they must make the Navy _ attractive to the young men of the Empire.