The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1917. "GALLANT GENTLEMEN OF THE SEA"

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 43, 14 November 1917, Page 4

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1917. "GALLANT GENTLEMEN OF THE SEA"

. The appoal to tho public which is to bo made on Friday next on behalf of the sailors of the Empire should evoko a most enthusiastic response. The people of tho city and province of Wellington will, wo feel sure, give willingly and generously to King George's Sailors' Day Fund, and it is to be hoped that their_ contribution will bo worthy of Wellington and worthy of the object to which it is to be devoted. Tho purpose of tho fund is to provide benefits for tho men of the Royal Navy and of the Mercantile Marine, also for the mine-sweepers, tho fishermen, and all sailors ongaged in the defence of tho Empire. An appeal on behalf of such a fund should touch the hearts and unloose the purse-strings of British men and women in all parts of the world, and in no part of His Majesty's Dominions should there be a greater readiness to subscribo than in New Zealand. The people of tho Empire are at tho present moment so deeply absorbed in watching tho tremendous on tho various fronts—the titanic struggle in France and Flanders, tho critical position of the Italian Army, tho amazing happenings inltussia, tho victories of our troops in Palestine

—that wo seem for the moment to have almost forgotten the groat work which the British Navy is doing at all times and in all weathers to ensure our safety and to frustrate the ceaseless endeavours of our enemies to encompass the ruin of our Empire. Sailors' Day comes as a timely reminder of tho debt of gratitude wo owe to !;he scameu of tho Empire who are performing their arduous and perilous duties so faithfully and well. The records of tho war and of our Mercantile Marino have afforded us convincing proof that the standardof British seamanship ib quito as high to-day as it was in the day when Nelson and his men fought and won tho Battle of Trafalgar. Admiral Beatty and the bravo band of brothers serving underhim have to contend not only against an open visible foe,_ such as Nelson had to

hghfc, but also against an enemy that lurks boneath the waters seeking for an opportunity of striking a secret blow when east expected. Disaster may B hoot down from the sky above or the waters beneath; it may lie unnoticed on the surface of the- sea or take the form of a sudden dash ot ships at lightning speed, or appear in a hundred other shapes. Our Navy has to protect us from a strong, vigilant, resourceful, and utterly unscrupulous foe. The enemy lias many secret sourcts of informa'tion, and is ever ready to take advantage of any opportunity that may occur of striking a sudden blow. Ho has occasionally succeeded in doing damage to a convoy or a coastal town, and his submarines have levied a heavy toll on our trading ships; but Britain's command of thesea remains undisputed. Indeed, it is more secure now than it was at the beginning of the war. After a_ recent visit to the Grand Fleet "in Northern mists" the- military correspondent of the London Timi'.s expressed the opinion that, taking everything together, the war efficiency of our fleet is 100 per cent, higher than at the time of the declaration of war, and 50 per cent, higher than when Jutland was fought. This writer assures us that the material of the Grand Fleet js in first-rate order, and that what is true of the material is truo of tho_ men. "The health of the Navy is superb. The causes of sickness are exceedingly remote, and there is always enough work to be dono to keep the mind occupied and the body fit. All appear to bo contented and in excellent good humour. When Beatty strokes a winning boat in a regatta, a shout goen up that would waken the Probably tho German authorities still try to fool the German people by claiming the Jutland light as a German victory. If so, the people must wonder why it is that their fleet does not go out again. ■ As The Times ■ correspondent remarks, "the German High Sea Fleet, since Jutland, has not found conditions favourable for engaging. Certainly tho enemy may yet fight, and our Grand Fleet is commanded in tho expectation that he will do so. No other expectation is legitimate to entertain. Tho enemy, if he comes, will come- with his whole foroc-, submarines included, and some units of ours will, at such a moment, bo normally under repair. Therefore, the Grand Sea Fleet has to bo ready to tackle him, and to mako humanly sure of victory, under tho conditions specified, and further to be ready to steam out and fight at any moment of the day or night that the enemy may, select." The men of tho British Navy are waiting and praying for the coming of that great day of battle, and if and when it does come the Empire is confident that our ships and men will do things that will provide the material for one of the most glorious chapters in British history. But all the maritime heroism of this great has not been confined to the British Navy. The men of our Mercantile Marine are braving danger and enduring hardship every day for the- sake of tho Empire. To say that they have proved themselves to be worthy colleagues of Admiral Beatty and his fighting men is praise indeed—and it is true. Who has ever heard of a British merchant seaman who ( has been deterred from sailing in his ship by' tho threats of the onemy or by Ihe dovilish outrages which tho Germans have committed? Day by day these intrepid sailors go in and out of British ports, and pass through waters infested by mines and submarines. Hundreds of them havo made the supremo sacrifice, and they have died for us and for the Empire just as truly as the men who have fallen on the various fronts or tho gallant eailors who went down with Admiral Oraddook. The war could not be won without the assistanco of the Mercantile Marine,_ and that assistance has hcen given in a manner that has won the admiration of the civilised world. New Zealanders, above all others, ought to bo grateful to the sailors of the Empire, whether they belong to the Navy or to tho merchant service. We have to thank them for making possible that wonderful prosperity which this Dominion has enjoyed amid the greatest and fiercest war in the world's history. In no part of the Empire is tho effectual guarding of the trade ' routes more important than to New Zealand. Tho great expanse of water which separates us from our • principal markets makes it of the most vital interest to us that the seas should bo kept open to our merchant vessels, and as free as possible from the assaults of the enemy. To quote tho wordß of Admiral Halsey, we in New Zealand have to "thank God and the British' Navy" for our safety and prosperity, and on Friday next we will have an opportunity of showing our gratitude in a ipractidal way. Our primary producers especially should be eager to seize this opportunity to mako some solid recognition of what they owe to the men of the Navy and of the Mercantile Marine. It is impossible to do too much for the men who are enduring terrible hardships and risking life and limb for us in our fighting ships and in our oversea traders, and also for the minesweepers, the fishermen, and all our sailors. Admiral Halsey gives expression to tho sentiments of every man, woman, and child of British blood and British spirit when ho declares that "all these men will be looked unon as gallant gentlemen of tho sea, for all time."