THE BRITISH NAVY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 280, 24 October 1934, Page 6

THE BRITISH NAVY.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Permit me to congratulate you on the very splendid leader on irafalgar Day” in your issue of Saturday last. No thinking person can read carefully through the article without a feeling of pride that “The Silent Service” of Britain is the friendliest police force in the whole world, the friend of every mariner in every corner of the Seven Seas, yet zealously and efficiently patrolling the trade routes, keeping them open for commerce which is our very life’s blood. One hears and reads so much of “peace at any price” that we would do well to remember Nelson in his address to the House of Lords—“A man of peace but would not sacrifice England’s honour.” Our statesmen at Home during these past crucial years have gone to the limit to give the world a lead in disarmament, with what result? — to place Britain and her far flung Dominions almost, in a state of peril. True, our self-respect and honour have been taxed to the utmost and no nation can point to Britain as an aggressor. Hats off to the finest statesmen in the world. Even Colonel Goer•ing, the German Minister, has definitely stated that he has no fear whatever of Britain being an aggressor. Only the other day . Sir John Simon (the British Foreign Secretary) stated that British policy had been steadily directed to counselling patience and moderation in all directions “as firm friends of peace.” Surely, then, one can take pride in our race and in its preservation, for, as Kipling wrote in 1910, when the world was in a comparatively peaceful state in “Big Steamers”—

For the bread that you eat and the biscuits you nibble, The sweets that you suck and the joints that you carve, They are brought to you daily by all us Big Steamers, And if anyone hinders our coming you’ll starve. Then send out your big warships to watcli your big waters That no one may stop us from bringing you food. So may we all truly recapture the spirit of Nelson. —I am, etc., KEEP WATCH.