WITH THE NAVY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23130, 31 August 1938, Page 6

WITH THE NAVY

PEACE-TIME OPERATIONS VISITS TO MANY LANDS VICTORIA LEAGUE ADDRESS "World Travelling with tho Royal Navy" was tho subject of an address by Commander C. U. Tinlcy to members of the Victoria League yesterday morning. In view of the present conflict in China the speaker's description of life in parts of that eountry, many years before the beginning of the present war, was of particular interest. Ho described Canton, with its population of from two to three millions, of which a large proportion lived in sampans on the river.

The native city was laid out in a maze of narrow streets, 0110 street being devoted entirely to fish shops, another to furniture shops, another to establishments which made and sold blackwood articles, and so on. On his return to Canton in 19.T5 Commander Tinley said he found great changes. The city was becoming more Westernised, sanitation had been introduced where there had previously been none and a very wide main street had been cut through the town. A visit to Bermuda was next described by the speaker, who said the island was unique in that no motorears were allowed there, passenger transport being clfccted by means of horse cabs and bicycles. A British naval base and the base of the West Indian Squadron, Bermuda had now become a popular holiday resort for the NewYork resident, who was able to fly there for n week-end and return to New York by the same means on Monday morning. His arrival in a destroyer at the Dardanelles during the . Turko-Greek war was commented upon by Commander Tinley. who was stationed there for nine months. Among the duties for those on hoard the destroyer was the evacuation of Greek refugees from blazing villages, and the transference of food from one village to another. Filially the destroyer conveyed a party of Greeks to the conference held between the Turks and the Greeks, at which General Harrington acted as mediator and arbitrator.

At a later stage Commander Tinley sailed from Malta to Palestine, where riots were in progress at Haifa and Jaffa. The presence of a ship in those days soon acted as a deterrent to the rioters, lie said, but in the presem. trouble between the Arabs and tlm Jews in Palestine matters seemed to have gone too far for the mere presenco of a destroyer to settle things. At the conclusion of his speeph Commander Tinley was thanked by Mr. L. S. Riekerby and by Mrs. J. B. Macfarlane, president of the league.