Sea Power And The Empire

Northern Advocate, 2 September 1947, Page 4

Sea Power And The Empire

(Special) AUCKLAND, This Day. “I often speak about the importance of sea power to the citizens of our Empire, but, after what the Mayor has said today, I can save my breath to cool my porridge,” said Rear-Admir-al Creasy. Flag Officer (Air) Far East, at a reception yesterday. “I am certain that no one in New Zealand requires any reminder of what sea power means to them.” Rear-Admiral Creasy said he believed that New Zealanders had a very shrewd idea of what was happening in Britain. However, they should not get away with any idea that the British people were' literally halfstarved or that anyone was down and out. or even approaching it.

Everything was a bit battered, everyone was a bit bored, and they had suffered a surfeit of restrictions and privations. But they were full of “go and ginger.” “However, do not let anything I say put you off sending those generous food parcels,” he remarked. “From personal experience I know that they make a tremendous lot of difference to a monotonous diet.” With other naval officers, he had seen Britishers in all sorts of straits and conditions during the last nine years, Rear-Admiral Creasy added. They had been seen in some ugly corners. No one could persuade him that those men who had then behaved so splendidly were going to let anything in this v/orld get them down.