NAVY LEAGUE

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 178, 22 April 1924, Page 2

NAVY LEAGUE

CBTTDBEN’S VISIT TO FLEET.

The Vice-Admiral commanding the Special Service Squadron has advised Mr. J. Hislop, Under-Secretary for Internal Affairs, that special visits of school children at Wellington can bo arranged as follow :—Saturday, April 26, both ships; Monday, April 28, both ships; Tuesday, April 29, both ships; Wednesday, April 30, Repulse only; May 1,2, 3, and 7, both ships. By an advertisement in to-day’s issue ladies and gentlemen willing to help with the distribution of refreshments to country children who will he visiting the Hood and the Repulse are asked to meet in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall to-morrow at 2.30 p.m. It is hoped that there will bo a very large attendance of those who are only too willing to give some little assistance in making the visit of these country children a memorable one. They will come from as far away as Wanganui and will spend 20 hours in tho train and four hou-s in Wellington. Any help tha: can he given will be readily seen to bo a labour of lovo when it is realised that these children and their' teachern and .school committees will arrive ir, Wellington full of hope and very tired. Arrangements are being made for tho Navy League children enrolled for 192324 to tho number of 4000 to visit the Hood and tho Repulse on Saturday, April 26. at 10 a.m.

In the course of an interview the Right Rev. J. Al. Steward, Bishop of Melanesia, informed an Auckland “Star” representative that the scientific side of (mission work was being studied, and tlie activites of the missionaries were no longer haphazard. To-day the endeavour was to keep the native as much native as possible, both in regard to food and also in regard to dress. It was now realised that the native made a very bad imitation of a white man, and that he should be taught to respect himself and his own nationality and not to be ashamed of being black. This theory is being preached and practised by the Melanesian Mission, and the bishop remarked that now Norfolk Island was no longer the headquarters cf the body it was unnecessary to supply clothing to the “boys” from hotter islands, so that these workers were gradually being induced to return to their own stvle of dress, a form of kilt. So long as somewnng in the nature of a loin cloth was being worn, that was all tiiat tbo Government or the missionaries desired the people, of these islands to wear.

A woman who had some thoughts of joining the British Fascisti, but decided not to do so, sends me the following note (states a writer in the ‘Manchester Guardian”): —“A Fascisti friend took me to a meeting of the newly-formed women’s unit. There were formalities at the door, but eventually I was admitted to a meeting in a smart restaurant in Piccadilly. There was an audience of about a hundred women and a few men, and the men were taken to task by the secretary for not wearing the Fascist badge. It was announced that . the Home Office has forbidden the badge being surmounted with a crown, and all members with these badges had to' change them for the new one with the Tudor roses. (A voice: ‘Did she say tuberoses?’) The lady members were willing to learn how to change the tires of their car, as everyone had a car and would be expected to lend, drive, or repair it. Older women whoso enthusiasm did not run to tirechanging, were expected to work for the propaganda scheme. Ono gentleman made a speech stating that the army wore treacherous and would not fire on revolutionaries, but, like Sir Frederick Banbury, he himself was prepared to lead anybody anywhere at anv time to any place. The secretary said that she hoped the women would learn to shoot, and a lady from Woolwich declared that there were 150.000 men Communists, many of them armed, at large in London, and they must fight them with their own weapons. Fascists were accuse/] of being secret, but their activities and numbers had been reported in the newspapers, and when their plans were ready they would cwne into the open. The meeting brokevup with a Fascisti salute and the National Anthesn.