THE KAISER'S NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 225, 16 June 1908, Page 7

THE KAISER'S NAVY.

MEETING 0? LEAGUE. NATIONAL, NOT PARTY, PURPOSES. GENERAL KEIM. BT TELECItAPH —MESS ASSOCIATION—COFTRIOHt. (Rec. Juno 15, 10.40 p.m.) Berlin, June 15. Herr de Jagow, Governor of Dannig, presiding at a meeting of- the German Navy League, said that the Government desired to see the League consolidated, not dissolved. Tho Government also wished to see tho League rendered independent, not regarded as an appendage of tho Minister for Marine. The League passed a resolution to tho effect that it would pursue no pnrty policy, but would aim at strengthening the national sentiment. / Prince Otto of Salm-Horstmar was elected President. General Keim, who early in the year resigned the Presidency of the League, declined offico. ROYAL ENCOURAGEMEJS. FROM PRINCE HENRY OF PRUSSIA. ' (Rec. June '15, 9.36 p.m.) Berlin, June 15.. Prince Henry of Prussia warmly congratulated the Navy League on placing tho Fatherland above private interests. He hoped that it would succecd by quiet and united labour in fully persuading the people that the necessary strengthening of tho navy is a national work. "POLITICAL AGITATION," NOT "PARTY POLITICS." General Keim's resignation followed on tho resignation of Prince Ruprecht of Bavaria from the Navy League, along with the secession of the Bavarian branch. General Keim, who is regarded as an Anglophobe by English writers, in a speech madb to the League on tendering his resignation, denied that the League had pursued party politics, but the regulations admitted political agitation. If the League was to bo a finger-post to tho Admiralty, it must, ho said, not march -beside, but in front of, the Admiralty. Ho said he became chairman of the executive committeo- in 1804, in which year tho membership of tho League was increased by 14,000, and it had since risen by 28.000 in 1905, 39,000 in 1906, and 23,000 in 190 T.

Tho meeting adopted tho following resolution by a largo majority—"ln the conviction that the entire presidency, headod by Prince von Salm-Horstmar, has actcd in accordance with the decision of the. Cologne meeting, anil has promoted the prestige of the German Navy League, tho general moeting expresses to tho presidency its thanks and confidence." Only a few of the Bavarian delegates supported the resolution, and they left the hall immediately after its adoption.