NAVY LEAGUE

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 133, 3 December 1930, Page 9

NAVY LEAGUE

NEED TO "KEEP WATCH" "Many inquiries are made as to thai attitude of the Navy League toward world peace and general disarmament, and the London Naval Treaty, and therefore I took the advantage of tha occasion in these talks in forty schools to explain the Navy League's policy] to-day," said Mr. B. Darroch (secretary) at yesterday's Navy League meeting, when reporting on his recent visits to twenty-eight schools in tha Wairarapa and twelve in the Bangitikei district. "I explained that the Navy League, on all grounds, favours all possible economies in the scale and. cost of defence that can be effected without prejudice to the security of tho Empire. The London Naval Treaty; signed by the three great naval Powers,the United States of America, Japan, and Great Britain, definitely fixes tha sizes of the navies of these Powers during the next five years. The Navy; League desires to support most loyally, this treaty as a definite progressiva step toward world peace and general disarmament, but the motto of the Navy League, 'Keep watch/ is most' necessary to be observed during these five years, because provision is made iii the Treaty for replacement of vessels as they become obsolete, and if the Navy League does not 'keep watch' upon the Government of the Day these replacements may not be made or may be unduly delayed, with the result that at the end of five years the British Navy might be relatively in a weaker position than it was at the signing of the Treaty. Therefore we must still 'keep watch.' "At the overseas conference of the Navy^League, held in London on 24th October, 1929, a unanimous resolution: was' passed: 'That the Navy League' branches throughout the Empire should do all they possibly can to encouraga and increase inter-Empire trade.* Therefore, I wish to introduce a mott* or slogan, as it may be called: 'Bu^ from those who buy from us.' " Mr. Darroch said that copper medafc lions containing "Victory" eoppe* were presented in every school fo* essay writing on the subject matter ol the talk, and many of the essays had? been Bent in to the office. In all, aboui 4000 pupils, teachers, and adult menu bers of the Navy League were address* ed in the course of the visits to Waira* rapa and Bangitikei. The headmaster of ■Wellington Col* lege, Mr. W. A. Armour, wrote stating that a school competition had been helj for the Navy League prize essays. Tha essays were written by all pupils, and for this purpose the school was divided; into threo sections —senior, intermediate, and junior. The results were:l Senior, fifth and sixth forms, "Naval Disarmament," B. A. Fortune; intermediate, fourth forms, "The Beginnings of Our Navy," J. C. Bellow;' junior, third forms, "Any Great Sea: Fight," H. C. Lane. A. heaTty welcome was extended to Mrs. James Findlay, who has recently, returned to New Zealand from a visit to England.