NAVY LEAGUE

Evening Star, Issue 22956, 13 May 1938, Page 5

NAVY LEAGUE

ANNUAL MEETING The annual meeting of the Otago branch of the Navy League was held in the Somerset Lounge yesterday afternoon. There was a good attendance of members, presided over by Mr J. Sutherland Ross. CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS. In moving the adoption of the annual report and balance sheet the Chairman said it was of special interest that the reigning Sovereign was again a man who spent many of his earlier years on “ blue water.’ He then proceeded to outline the business carried out at the annual conference of New Zealand branches, and quoted from a letter written by the president of the league (Lord Lloyd), in which the writer urged all those in New Zealand to arouse public opinion and represent to the Government the necessities of the situation. The conference was strongly in favour of trying to increase the number of New Zealanders in both the Royal Navy and the mercantile marine. The proposal to establish Dominion headquarters for the league in Wellington was discussed and ratified by the executive. Probably the most important matter for discussion was the Navy League sea cadet movement There was no doubt whatever that Navy League headquarters in London regarded this as a most important matter, and it took a prominent place in the constitution. “ I regard the British Navy as one of the greatest factors for peace in the world to-day,” declared Mr Ross. “ Our endeavours as a nation in the direction of helping forward the cause of universal peace have been taken merely as weakness by other great Powers, with the result that the Empire now is putting forth superhuman efforts to have her defences in order against the day of trial. England herself is quite conscious of the position, as has been shown by the practically unanimous vote of the House of Commons in favour of strengthening our armaments last year, and again by the calm way in which they have accepted the heavy addition to the income tax imposed by this year’s Budget. Can anyone say that we, as a nation of New Zealanders, are equally conscious of the position?” The speaker’s own opinion was that they had always been so far removed from the focus of international trouble that they had been lulled into a false security. The main duty of the league was to arouse and educate the public opinion to the true state of affairs. During the first year or two the daily papers had been very bitter reading, when one read of insults to British citizens in and out of uniform, which would have called for stern punishment not so many years back, but which apparently had to be suffered because they were not ready. In this Dominion they were absolutely dependent on the mercantile marine, which, in turn, looked to the Navi 7 ,

ELECTION OF OFFICE-BEARERS. The election of the office-bearers resulted as follows:—President, Mr J. Sutherland Ross ; vice-presidents—Sir Percy Sargood, Messrs James Begg, R. S. Black, and R. G. C. M'Nab; committee—the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, Commander E. F. Watson, Commander F. Fraser, Mr A. C. Matheson, Lady Allen, Mesdames James Begg, R. S. Black, W. F. Edmond, G. Fitzgerald, J. E. Macassey, J. S. Monro, J. G. M'George, W. C. M‘Kellar, T. M‘Kibbin, E. C. Reynolds, G. R. Ritchie, J. Sutherland Ross, and E. F. Watson; honorary treasurer, Mr W. F. Edmond; honorary auditor, Mr V. E. Thomson.