"THE GLORIOUS FIRST OF JUNE."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13453, 1 June 1907, Page 9

"THE GLORIOUS FIRST OF JUNE."

Sir,—The beautiful weather of this whole week, since Sunday, reminds one of the fine month of June in England! (About four months, viz., from May to September, produce the British summer, as you know. Sir, I hope that some days hence such weather as to-day may still remind us, if faintly, of the June of old England. The "first of Juno" should be ever g'orious to a Briton's eyes. On that memorable day Lord Howe's fleet, broke the naval power of France, and, perhaps, helped Great Britain to become greater, more glorious, and freer than ever, because it, saved our loved England from possibly falling, like all Europe, under tho feet of a French emperor, and so English sailors made our Old Country free from the fear of invasion, let us hope for ever. Hail first of June, 1794. Hurrah for tho British fleet, in 1907. Sir, a few years since I travelled from Sydney to London with a number of British sailors. On that first of June I tried to raise some enthusiasm among those man of warsmen, but I could not find one who knew or eared for the "glorious fir. tof June.'' Their answer was, "We dor. * know much about history." Surely, sir, the gallant Admiral now in our harbour would be ashamed of such men, and would have them taught the glorious history of Britain, especially under a flag that's braved a thousand years the battle and the breeze. F.L.