A MANLY SPEECH.

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 October 1917, Page 7

A MANLY SPEECH.

THE NEW FIKST LOAD'S CKEED. Sir Erie Geddes, M.P., First Lord of the Admiralty, gave some interesting- I'.-u'is regarding his career before iiis constituents at Cambridge. "\ou have been told," he said, "J have been a railwayman, that I was once a porter. That is true, and lam very proud of it. (Cheers..) The railwaymen of England 1 hold in the highest regard' and that regard luisi been intensified l)y what I have seen.of their ■work in France. The railwaymen out Hi ere have given movement to the Army. The railways: are now abend of the guns, everywhere—(cheers)and the work of the rnilwaymen has' saved thousands and thousands: of lives at the sacrifice of many of their own." Proceeding, Sir Erie said ho had been asked to fell them about himself. Ho had read in a local paper that he was a young man about whom they knew very little. *I never, I hope, was unduly proud, but i'f J was that took ir all out of me." (Laughter.) There is not much ; v till. 1 worked since J was 17. 1 have never played much or long_ and none at all in the last three years, during which T worked , harder than ever before. What little politics I had I have forgotten in uie

munition factories in Franco, in the dockyards, and with the Fleets. THE NAVY'S TAUT. "Before the war I had done soldiering in India. At the beginning of thi! war T raised and commanded one of the finest pioneer battalions that evcrwent to France. At Lord Kitchener'si request 1 went to the War Office, and had a hand at most tilings there, except shell production. Then I went to France, first to report, and later to join Sir Douglas Haig's stall'.'' Continuing, he said: "When T went if) the Admiralty J thought J knew all about the deeds of the Navy, but 1 did not. 1 have now seen the records and reports—something that you cannot put into the papers. The officers of the Navy are the bravest of men. but they say : 'Please do not tell all our exploits at sea.' and the reason you bave not far to seek. Remember Captain Fryatt. The difference between the Army atnd tlffc Naw is (hat while there is someone to fight on land, there is only someone under the sea for the Navy. Y;vi know how difKeu.lt it is< to catch a mole in your garden. That is similar to what we have to deal with. The submarine danger is, of course, serious but if can lie overcome, and I honestly believe it will be overcome. Mow do 1 view the duties l of First Lord p* the Admiralty/ The last thinji' he should do is; to interfere in vav til strategy. (Loud cheers.) 1 want you to judge me not. by my speeches, but by what 1 do." '(Cheers,)