SEA POWER. A CHEAP INSURANCE. COSTS LITTLE AND BUYS MUCH.

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue LXVII, 30 January 1904, Page 2

SEA POWER. A CHEAP INSURANCE. COSTS LITTLE AND BUYS MUCH.

A PLKA FOR AN EMIMUH-NAVY. Tho mooting convened last evening to ho held in the room of the Chamber of Commerce, for the purpose of forming n Wellington Branch of tln>. Navy League, «m attended by about fifty persons, mcc hiding iho Premier (the H'ight lion. 11. J. Keddoii) niul tho 'Mayor of Wellington (Mr. J. (J. W. Ailkeil, M.U.K.). Mr. 1). J. Nallmn, President of tho Chamber of Commerce, was in tho rhnir, and briefly introduced Air. Harold Frazer-Wyatt, Envoy of tho British Navy League' Tho I Chairman referred lo the fact that statesmen of all parties at Homo hail lecognifK>d that tho Navy was not conducted on business Hues. Our naval expenditure was an iiiNurance of our commerce, and a, very cheap ono. The cost of the British Navy worked oul at a 3 per cent, insurance, while France was paying 12 per cent., Russia 15 per rent., Germany 5 per cent., Italy 4i per cent., United Stales 18 per oent. , and Japan 44 per confc. lie referred to the falling-off in tho number of British seamen. Jn ten years thpi British seaman in the marine had fallen off from 40,000 to 28,000, the Lascars hild increased to 12,000, and foreign sailors nearly 9000. Mr. Wyult said the League was formed as the ivsult of |he conviction of London business men that naval administration should not be left to bo a shuttlecook of party politics. Tho navy had suffered in tho past from alternate neglect and panic expenditure. Each of tho paities, at Home was equally guilty. Sudden proiligato tfxpendiburu could bo avoided by a bu.sine.vi> administration. There were panic agitations with regaid to Naval expenditure in 1877, 1884, utul 1889. Later on another similar occasion arose, this time under thu Liberals. Sir William Harcourt said in the Mows© of Commons that the Naval Estimates had been approved by all the Naval Lords. Nexc d;>y all the Naval Lards sent in their resignations, Then Sir William Harcourt came, down and suid he had been, mismterpreted. To avoid this $ort of adminis. (ration tho League was formed. "Continuity of preparation was the essence of national security." The Leugue had had to face an immense amount of apathy in tho Old Country, and ho felt bound to add It was not confined to thi) Old Country. He had not had enough experience of New Zealand to say that it was here — (Iho Mayor: It is here ) — but he would go ao.fa.r as' to vSay that hi Australia, there was a > cortwm ainoutrt of upatliy. 7n contrast to this ho referred to the Navy League in Germany — formed in imitation of ■ onr own League, and started by no less a person than the Kuj&or himself. With the Imperial force behind it, the German Lcaguo had mado great progress, having a membership of nearly ono million, and a subscription of JMO.OOO sterling, nnd it had delivered 3000 lectures. The practical result was the graa development- of the Qermnn Navy, which was being formed on a definite phm, yilh interchangeable parts in tho various vessels, at great cost. The past success of tho British Nuvy was based on concentrated attack, not on tho breaking up of the Nuvy into detached fragment* awaiting attack. A nnvy wanted to have a base as near as possible to tho point it wajited to attack. Tho new naval port being established on the const of Scotland was intended to Iks a baso for the fleet to opera to agiiiiwt the fr-rmnn fleet in time of wur. This wi\x not const defence, nor Home defence, but Imperial defence. Tho battle to decido tho fata of iho wholo Empua might bo fought within a f«w hours after tho outbreak of wur. Another purpose of maintaining the fleet was to attain victory in international competition — in dij*puU*» that did hot come to the point of war. Our sou-borne- food and raw material depended on tho fleet j without theao, tho pooplo at Home would have neither food nor wagc#. The mastery of tho Pacific depended ,on sea-power. Russia was grouping »t jl, to) permeating China with Jut influence, and would enlist Cliineso troops under Russian officers and throw them, 100, into the struggle. Japan, also, wus dominating China. Tho supremacy of the fleofc wa» therefore vital to Australasia. There won tv danger of a falling off in the maritime spirit of tho British people, both on tho high seas and in tho Australian coastal trade. In tho latter he was assured that 90 per cent, were foreigners, and the remaining 10 per cent. English, Scotch, or Irish, and very few Australians. Tho Navy was also necessary to the fulfilment of Britain's obligations to subject populations. Tho Afncan war could not have been carried on for three months without tho Navy. A lot nl branch of the League had tho lixing of its own subscription (tho Auckland branch fixed it!, ab 10s 6d), and tho expenditure of three-fourths of its receipts, one-fourth going Home to help the funds of the League in Britain. Tho Premier oxpr<?<wd regret that ho was not able to remain any longer. His steamer was to havo left ab 9 p.m. (the clock at this stage stood at 9.3). Ife might say that tho mention of tho British Navy always caused' a chord to vibrato .in tho heart of every Britisher. Mo had listened with very great pleasure to Mr. Wyatt's address. Uo hoped a branch of tho League would bo formed hero, and ho would join it and do his best to ai<J its object. The M»4or moved : "That this- meeting convened by the Wellington Chamber of Cdmincree cordially approves tho objects oi th© Navy L«iguo and the. formation of a branch of the organisation in Wellington." Tho Mayor strtongly emphasised the importance of maintaining tho Navy. Ho did not beliovo in war, but ho quit© realised that tho best safeguard against war was to bo ready for it. It was bad form to interfere between two aiigry men unless you were able to thrash them both. Wo had the lead} we should maintain it. Mr. H. Bcaucluunp seconded tlao motion. Ho maintained that tho British fleet should be equal at lwfst to tho fleets of three other nations; -without that we could not keep open the lines of communication, and without those lines the Homo population must be starved into surrender. Tho valuo of a, fleet wa» shown by the way Japan had kept Russia at arm's length. Without Japan's Navy, Russia woidd havo been at tho throat of the Japs, long ere this. Tho motion was carried unanimously, and on tho motion of Mr. Beauchamp, tho Mayor was invited to be tho first President of tho Wellington Brunch. On tho motion of Mr. John Duthie, M.H.R., a 'hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Wyatt, to vho.se eloquence Mr. Dutbio paid a high tribute. '4fhe following committee was appointed, with power to add to ite number: — Tho Right Hon. tho Premier, tho President of tho Chamber of Commerce (Mr. D. J. Nathan), Messrs. John Duthio, M. 11. R., Hon. W. Praser, M. H. R., E. C. E. Mills, G. Sldrtcliffe, L. Blundell, W. Allan, W. Cable, J. B. Harcourt, W. P. Shortt, 11. Beauchamp, •John Duncan, A. S. Bisa, C, J, Cooper, G. F. C. Campbell, and E. D. Bell. Mr. Wyatt said Uie-ro was work for tho Branch in drawing attention to the- fact that there might well be a greater Naval Reaervo in New Zealand than tho 300 which would bo JNcw Zealand's quoUv under tho Naval Defence Act. (Applause). On Mr. Wyatt's motion, a voto of thanks w«h accorded to the Chairman.