TRAFALGAR DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 131, 30 November 1933, Page 3

TRAFALGAR DAY

WEEATHS- IN LONDON t ■ ■:...;.■•

NAVY LEAGUE'S MESSAGE

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

LONDON, October 27,

In commemoration of■ Trafalgar and in memory of Nelson many wreaths were laid at the foot of. .the Nelson Column in Trafalgar Square. Those included two blocks of ice from New Zealand branches of the Navy League containing native foliage. Both were in good condition, though the front faces in both were a little cloudy. Other New Zealand branches contributed circles of ehysanthemums ■ and other flowers,. .......

Wreaths and laurel anchors were as numerous as. ever from local branches of the league, from many ships and regiments, and from descendants of those who fought at Trafalgar. Crowds already had begun to file round the flower-girdled base when the High Commissioners arrived with their tributes. Oh behalf of the Navy League, Lady Lloyd, who was accompanied by Lord Lloyd of Dolobran (the president), laid a wreath of brown and white chrysanthemums worked with the motto ["Keep Watch" beneath the bronze bas- ! relief of the Death of-Nelson.

Mr. Gr. H. Ferguson, Mr. S. M. Bruce, and Sir Thomas Wilford^on behalf of the, Governments of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, advanced in turn' with clusters of chrysanthemums and lilies, tarnations, and autumn leaves; and other .wreaths were laid on behalf of the Agent-General for Malta, the Governments of India and Newfound-land,-and the Navy League-of South Africa. Ropes of laurel leaves .were hung'from the. column to the Landseer lions, and the. famous signahin thirtyone flags, was also seen against the column. Later in the morning, Lady Lloyd, accompanied by Eeai'TAdmiial G. O. Stephenson, walked down the almost empty nave of St. Paul's, passed into the crypt, and halted for a moment before the, massive tomb where Nelson lies buried in the place of honour boneath the dome. At the foot of the tomb Lady Lloyd placed her wreath of white flowers.; . ■ .. ; r THE EMPIRE'S SAFEGUARD. The Navy League issued the follow-' ing message:— , "Today we celebrate the 128 th anni-' versary of the death of Britain's greatest sailor, and the Navy League once again invite? not only its members at home and overseas, but also all those who recognise that the sea is, and ever has been, our'lifey to join in doing honour to the 'immortal memory of Nelson and his comrades.' For the past' 37 years it has'been the custom of the Navy League to. call the attention, of> the British people.the world over to the abiding realities ofjNelson's life and death—namely, that,it is on sea power that the existence and prosperity of the Empire depend,tand that the safety, honour,, and welfare of our Sovereign and.his Dominions are niaini tamed only, by ceaseless vigilance and> devotion to. duty. > f "For,- despite the contributions made by engineers and scientists to human progress, we remain,islanders. We draw our strength from the sea, which is also our weakness unless we resolve without boasting and vainglory to ensure that in all circumstances the lines of communication, which, radiate from our shores to ;the uttermost corners of the ; earth shall remain unbroken. These linesi> of communication, which it is our duty., to police if the Empire is; to survive, extend for 85,000 miles, and it is upon their free use that we are .dependent for five-sixths of the food we rteed:and for the raw- materials of our manufactures, as well as for uninterrupted intercourse with our own. people overseas. For 109 years our sea power, brilliantly < asserted, remained unchallenged, and again in 1914-1S it not'only safeguarded the world-wide territories of the: Crown, but enabled our fellow-citjzens from1, overseas i.to play: a gallant/part.inrachieving the triumph of ,tHe-cause:df national freedom;-,"! •-/■:.-■■" ■ '"■ : /

"ThelNavy is today'more than ever the sin-e: shieUl of Bri«!ii», her Dominions, and her colonies.- The spirit that Nelson embodied is the spirit that created and held a vast Empire. Let us, then, today recall the, services and achievements of our greatest seaman and seek in the lessons of the past inspiration and guidance* for the future."