NAVY LEAGUE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10107, 22 October 1918, Page 4

NAVY LEAGUE

NELSON DAY COMMEMORATION CONVERSAZIONE AT TOWN HALL.' A social gathering was held at tha Town Hall Concert Chamber last night in commemoration of Trafalgar Day. There was a large attendance, amongst those present being Their Excellencies Lord and Lady Liverpool, the Hight Hon. W. 'F. 'Massey and Mrs Massey, the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward and Lady Ward, the Hons. G. W. Russell, ; A. M. Myers, and Captain Hall-Jones." Apologies for non-attendance as announced by the Mayor (Mr J. P. Luke), who acted as chairman, were received from the Hons. Sir James Allen,T. M. Wilford, and G. H. Gutnne. There was an iteresting musical programme. An orchestra under Mr H. Moschini submitted some selections, and vocal numbers were rendered by Miss McEnroe and Mr- H. F. Wood, Mr B. F. Page officiating at the piano. ' The essential items of the evening's programme was an address by Sir Joseph Ward, who dwelt upon'the fact that the nobility of Lord Nelson had been indelibly impressed on. the British Navy. There was no doubt, he said, that the spirit of. Nelson had been gloriously extended in the feats achieved by the British Navy of to-day. Evei Briton must be justly proud of the Navy. Without the British Navy, Britain and her Allies could not now have been in her conquering position. Sc far as America was concerned most wonderful work had been done. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers had been conveyed to France without a single soul being lost, thanks to the efficiency of the transports and their convoys. It was his hope that the German Navy would have the courage to come out, and have a final battle with the British Navy to take part in the greatest struggle on water' that.' was ever known. Then it would be decided whether the German warships were to be sunk or taken over 'by the Allies. Sir Joseph Ward went on to allude to the danger that New" Zealand had 1 " experienced through'' the ' Wolff ing about the Pacific, and the narrow : escapes from submarines, that had occurred in connection with the transportation of American troops to France. At one time there had Tieen fourteen ships carrying 28,000 troops' across the '''•'■■ Atlantic Ocean. So well were things Uli arranged that on a stated date a British convoy took charge 'of the American forces. There was no doubt that credit was due to the ' Br'itsh' "' Navy for preserving the United States, and the whole world. (Applause.) But for the British NavyGermany would have won from the start.,,-,,- In this connection the„w.ork, of, ~, the Mercantile Marine, must j not,„, be v , forgotten. The men of the Mercantile. - Marine were entitled to stand alongside in this struggle with the Navy. (Applause.)

A particularly interesting point about Sir Joseph Ward's address was when he came to describe the hurricane speed of the 01ympi<^the r ßtearnship on which: he and his colleagues '''A made two voyages. The vessel is "of 47,00(J tons, and travels at the rate of 2o knots. There are 365 men in the engine-room,' and she burns 800 tona of coal a day. There are thirteen watertight compartments in the engineroom alone. - It is claimed that she could not be sunk with three torpedoes. On one occasion she was surrounded by seven enemy submarines, and she turned on them and sunk at least one. '.

Speaking on the question of hospitals, Sir Joseph alluded to the excellent work that <?as being done under the New Zealand regime. Afterwards he alluded to the wonderful operations of American motor manufacturers who had practically turned their attention! to shipbuilding '•' He concluded "with. 1, an inspiring eulogy of "the remarkable military achievements which were 'being accomplished by Field-Marshals Poch'and Haig. .•'.'.. -■