MAINTAINING THE NAVY

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 124, 21 November 1925, Page 8

MAINTAINING THE NAVY

PRIME MINISTER'S INSISTENCE^ ! The importance of New Zealand .doing, its,full share -towards, the main-, tenance of the Navy was stressed by .the Prime • Minister.'"(the 1 fion. J. G. ■ Coates) when spiking at the Exhibition, dinner Xt.Duiieain tbjß-week.. . Mr. C6atea'?aid lie thought the New Zealandors were a11..0f one mind in ; recognising thevgpeat part which Brit'sin had played;.in;the past in connec-. ; tion with her-'WQrk and the protection, afforded by her N;avj-. The British 1 Navy had neyer-'beien. aggressive. It had stood for" tii'e' freedom of the seas Jand the.free passage of all.nations so long as peace was,' their intent, and the people in New Zealand would dotheir .utmost, to assist in. maintaining those "traditions. . So far as the New ■Zealanders could do;'so,.-they would help Greatßritain in maintaining her Navy and securing the peaceful carrying on of trade between all parts of the-.Empire and with all nations of '■ the world.- /(Applause.)' He "was sure that New Zealanders would assist' : as far as possible in bringing about a . proper understanding c's it affected all : nations, believing sincerely that arbi- '■ tration was the proper and successful way of settling ' disputes. In .tho meantime, and' until they realised the i groat ideal of- having international i difficulties settled by arbitration,' they would assist;us far as they could their' ; Empire and the ■..'British; people in maintaining a navy sufficiently; strong to guarantee thesafe.passage of their trade. (Applause.) They knew perfectly well that there was a danger of false' security, ■ aiiO. it: would be-un-wise for'them at this stage tobe sidetracked. They, woukl, as far as they. could, stiind''by the • principle'of arbitration and assist in bringing about a co-operation and ■ understanding between' different nations. They' must recognise that the British.nation had been-largely built up by reason of the existence of the ;Navy, and that the Navy had been built up by a tremendous sacrifice in the past. The.Navy had assisted in- maintaining the. principles and institutions most dear to every Now Zealandor, and to every man'and woman who had the privilege of belonging to the British Empire.