MR BULLEN'S LECTURES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13640, 9 July 1906, Page 2

MR BULLEN'S LECTURES.

"THE WAY THEY HAVE IN THE NAVY." Mr Prank T. Bullen had lectured to us on the sen, and bad given air agreeable and illuminating disceurre on whales. On Satmvlay night, he specialised on the navy. The leeiiire. differing from tlw preceding ones, was no whit less interesting. It is true that Mr Bullen, in his seagoing davs, was attached (more or less painfully) to the mercantile marine. Hut since he turned from seafaring to literature, he has had special opportunities of gaining a somewhat intimate, knowledge of naval affairs and conditions. Ho has made influential friends at the Admiralty. He has been an honoured guest on great warships engaged in historic naval mananivros. In gaining this new knowledge, his old experience of the sea was necessarily of inestimable advantage to him; and' though in his case confidence is always tempered willi becoming modesty his description of naval matters is especially authoritative and reliable. In view of that fact it is pleasant to note, that Mr Bullen's opinion of the navy is so high, that his hope for it so great. He openly exults in what ho calls tlic new reign (if commonsense at the Admiralty, (he v.cm-iug-out of obsolete ships and types, the reconstruction and reformation of ancient methods and traditions to meet modern ends. On Saturdav he commenced, very appropriately, with a, vigo.-ous arid scholarly appreciation of Nebon. as the type par excellence of the British admiral. Occasionally, indeed, amid much close reasoning and admirable description, Mr Bu'lcn—win is not without a popular writer's pleasant faults—jave his romantic imagination play.

"1 think if Nelson had been consulted, he would have said that ha died a s he would have flipsen to die." Here, you have at best a half-truth. Nelson certainly did not die WIIBX he would have chosen lo die. He hungered passionately for a safe return to Kngland; he had torn himself away from England, loyally and heroically if you will, but with poignant regret and many a backward glance. The more splendid the hero—any here —the move stalwart is the man behind the hero; and Nelson's overpowering human love for one woman, however irregular and morally deplorable it. may have been, was the consuming passion of his life. He knew what English gratitude was worth, for practical purposes; and ho could not have died easily or willingly,

dying when lie did. English gratitude manifested itself characteristically; amid much laudatory palaver, it let. the, one woman of Nelson's story die squalidly in a Calais slum. That, however, is by the way. Mr ISullcn told plain truths regarding Nelson's ships, these "hearts of oak" we hear so much about from irresponsibles. Ho pointed out. that, these .ships were the abhorred product of the clumsiest naval architecture, "a curse and a blight on every man who had to handle them"; and in his terse statement of what such ships could and could' not do. lie disposed very completely of some ingenious theories regarding Nelson's tactics at Trafalgar. Coming down to the new navy of our own day. the lecturer's description became altogether admirable. Mr liullen is pre-emincmly a, humane and brotherly man, a democrat of the sea. He described our ships and our sailors in such terms as only a humane man would select. He hates the injustice of caste. He.reasonably srolfcd at the convention (now, happily, dying or dead) that for long regarded the.engine-room staffs of warships as standing for nil inferior professional order. Ho pointed out that, in action, the engine-room staffs are practically condemned to death. In case of defeat, they i'.ie first, as surely its though tliey stood at. ilio heart of an exploding mine. Ho pleaded for sympathy for the stokers, "the helots of the navy." Briefly, he showed how hard their lot is, how scant (if glory bo denied) their heritage. He showed, turning to another matter, how nobly the new naval training schools compare with tho big public schools in England. Ho eloquently described the transformation of a battleship called suddenly to General Quarters in the middle watch. lie told how I lie boat force of a great fleet was mobilised wit limit warning in 13 minutes: how, although English battleships in work and tactics are the :-,popdie.-t in the world, the limit of speed allowed is speed consistent with efficiency. .As usual, his lecture was happily rich in i|iinint and forcible anecdoh's. There was oriMsionally i>. whimsical dry-ed.ve of apparent cynicism. A great ship's company are piped to church on Sunday morning, and a naval policeman finds a man skulking under a boat, reading Answers. "Here, why are you not at church';" "I'm an agnostic; 1 don't believe in anything at all." "You don't? Then you're Church of England. Conio along liero!" In tho navy all religionists not otherwise classified are by compulsion Anglicans—once a week. Mr Uulleli deplores the weirdexperimpntsin naval construction recently indulged in by France, especially having regard to the splendid feeling now existing between France and England. Again, he sounded tho note of warning with reference to Germany's tireless activity, be;- bitter resolution to obtain command of ih\ sea. Germany is the constant biting menace to the peace of Europe, and Mr Bnllcn's warning cannot bo taken 100 seriously. lie cries out against. Iho apathy with, winch the operations of the Navy League are generally regarded in the colonies. Germany filched tho.idea from England, and already the German Navy League is supported by the Kaiser, spurred by the Government, and numbers a million members. The present new Governniciif of Eniriaml threatens to cut down tho navy; so that colonial apathy is likely to be still more disastrous. It is not necessary to make any moro detailed reference to Saturday's lecture.

Tp-nii;!if the subject of the final discourse will l)/> '* The Mighty Ocean," and a 11ir- r audience will probably {rather to hear tile lootuicr at his best. Of the many nrofessional lecturers Now Zealand lias known, Mr Frank T. Billion is easily one of the ablest. His style.'entirely liis own, is admirable [or his purpose. Ho is direct: and incisive, wasting 110 words. His vigorous Paxon phrases rinp; trim. TTo is of sterling; sincerity, and his enthusiasm is jrenuine. He has another excellent r|iialily. A man of strong religious convictions himself, lie has tlio fullest respect and tolerance for the convictions of other people. He rover preaches nt ov In his audiences. Ho is neither namby-pamby, nor goodyROody. Tiling? sacred in his own eyes and. those of many of his hearers, lie approaches always with modesty anil a quiet reverence. But ho never jeers at >-eir.*iiee nor snarl* at. holiest doubt. When lie is most inspired by the things he tells, he srlows to a Pennine eloqitcnoe that is free of llie r.h'sliipst suspicion of-ad'eetalion. and in its kind immeasurably superior to any ingenious contrivance of deliberate oratory.