NELSON DAY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 22, 20 October 1917, Page 10

NELSON DAY

NAVY LEAGUE DEMONSTRATION

TRIBUTES TO THE FLEET Nelson Day was celebrated in Wellington yesterday by a, .Navy League demonstration in tho Town Hall. There was a good attendance. Some excellent choruses were rendored by :i choir from the

Wellington city and suburban schools, and there were vocal solos and organ numbers.

Tho audience was addressed by the Eight Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, who referred to the career of Lord Nelson and to the work of the British Navy. After tracing the early career of Nelson, tho speaker referred to the victory at Aboukir Bay. Had it not been for that victory Napoleon might have dominated the world. This made us think of what tho Navy had done to-day in the wa.y of spoiling tho. Kaiser's schemes for world domination. It was with tho glorious victory of Trafalgar that Nelson's name would always be associated. There he saved England from tho horrors of invasion, just as c-ur Navy had done today. On the day of Trafalgar every man in the British Fleet did his duty, and to-day every man in tho British Navy wus doing his. With Mr. Massey he had visited the British Fleet, and could say that it was hard to realise the tremendoas forco that was waiting a chance to smash the enemy. The spirit of the Navy was indomitable: The Navy had been called on to fight an Empire's battle, though it had been built largely to protect the Motherland. The BritishNavy was represented everywhere, and yet. it was so powerful that in the faceof tho abominable submarine campaign it had done wonderful work. In conclusion, Sir Joseph AVard eaid he hoped all present would bo spared to meet again next Trafalgar anniversary, with' peace reigning supreme. That hope could not be realised except by maintaining tho strength of the British Navy. No better work that that of keeping up the strength of the sea force could be engaged in.

On the motion of tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), seconded by the president of the Navy League (Mr. J. B. Harcourt), it was unanimously resolved: That this large and representative gathering of Wellington citizens desires to record its high appreciation of the work of tho Navy in the great war, and its absolute and entire confidence in tho officers and men of the

The entertainment programme was:— Organ solo, Mr, Charles Kerry; union song, "Obedient to tho Call," schools' choir; song, "The Death of Nelson," Mr. L. Barnes; two-part song, "New Zealand, My Homeland," the choir; eong, "Land of Hope and Glory," Miss Tiria Townshend; chorus, "The Marseillaise," the choir; organ solo, "Fantasia on National Airs," Mr. C. Kerry; twopart song, "Golden Slumbers," the choir; song, "The Promise of Life," Miss T. Townshend; solo and chorus, "American Battle Hymn," {ho choir; song (with chorue), "Rule, Britannia," Mr. I. Barnes. The organist was Mr. C. Kerry, the accompanists Misses Mills and Edwards, and the conductor Mr. Robert Parker.

Tho proceedings closed with the singing of Hie National Anthem.