VITAL BULWARK OF THE EMPIRE

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 255, 24 July 1936, Page 7

VITAL BULWARK OF THE EMPIRE

British Navy and Air Arm LEAGUE STRESSES DANGER OF APATHY “We still believe,” states the annual report of the Wellington branch of the Navy League, to be presented to the annual meeting on Monday night, “that the Navy, including the air arm, means for us our very existence as an Empire; it means that we are free from invasion, it means our daily food and our daily employment, and although the cost may, be great, it is little compared with what it brings back to us. It is the safeguard and bulwark of our Empire, and ought to be, cherished beyond all others. During the forty years which the Navy League has been in existence, it has played a very real part in educating the people on the necessity for defence. About 35 years ago Mr. Wyatt, an envoy from the mother branch in London, spent two years travelling round the world and establishing branches, in every part of the Empire, including those inhabited by, British communities in the Ear East, and this work visibly improved the previous attitude of the peoples in the British Dominions overseas. “We are not the only Empire which

has a navy league, and when the American squadron visited New Zealand some years ago, the officer in command. Admiral Coontz, said that had it not been for the United States Navy League, the' United States would not have had a navy, and cited the case of Mr. Robinson, a memlier of the navy league, and a millionaire, who devoted most of his fortune in' travelling through the States of the interior and rousing them from their apathy to support a naval programme for the great Republic.’’

The number of school members enrolled last year was 852. The action of the Wellington Education Board m restricting the secretary’s visits to after-school hours very, much, hampered the enrolment of school members. However, several schools were visited after hours, and in these cases the enrolments were quite satisfactory. The executive is very grateful to the Nelson Education Board in particular for the great help which their chairman, secretary and members give in conneetionf with the visits to schools.