THE NAVY LEAGUE.

Mataura Ensign, 11 July 1906, Page 2

THE NAVY LEAGUE.

Mli y. T. IiU.J.KN'S tUMMKN'DATION. Before addressing himself to the subject of his lecture at the Town Hull last evening, Mr r. T. liullen sniil in had been requested by Sir A. A.Scott, President of tin' local brunch of tin Navy League, lo say a few words about the League's aims and objects. When the organisation was formed some ten years ago he hud been press-i-d by the sccrcturv. Commander Ciutehley, K.N.JL, and'a very old friend, to become u member. This be declined lo do, as he desired to remain in a position of independence, either 1i critici.se or to eulogise, but he hud sinco discovered little or no rouse to criticise what the League was doing. He deplored the npntliy that prevails! at Home in regard to naval matters, seeing they had such a tremendously important bearing upon the seenvity of 111.• l-jnpire. The fortytwo millions sterling that tin- Navy cost annually came out of the pocket's of some forty million people. If the inhabitants of the colonies wire taxed ill proportion they would have to provide live or six millions per year instead of being called upon to pav only some C-JHI.OOII. which was not stdlicient lo build a beggarly torpedo-de-stroyer. Although there was much upatii.v at Home, underlying it all there was a recognition of the fact that the Navy was Kritaiii's all in all. There was a movement on foot in Knglund to increase the size of i|,e Army, lint it did not matter if the country was running over with soldiers, they eoiihl not (i L dit if thev were tiol fi-d, and they could not be fed unless the supremacy of (lie Navv was maintained. In Germany the' Navy League iiicimWship numbered l,(!(Hl['WMI : in liiitain umU-r lIMI.fICo. 1„ (Jcrniniiy all were keenly interested in the N'uvv League, from the Kniscr downwards. The school children were encouraged to brine; their pence to aid its funds, as they were told that every pennv meant another nail in the ooflin of Hiitish supremacy and an aid towards the pnramonntcy of ficrmnu naval potentiality. Germany had a dednite object in view and made no secret of it—the destruction of Km'laud s mastery r,f the sea and the disintegration of the Kmnire. England's : supremacy was the only guarantee of the peace of the world, ami all who I realised, what that meant could not | resist the claims that the Navv League ' imposed upon them. ' ~ j