NAVY LEAGUE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15445, 4 May 1912, Page 5

NAVY LEAGUE.

ANNUAL MEETING. Tho eighth annual mooting of tho Otago branch ol tho Navy Lcaguo wax hold in tho Town Hall yesterday afternoon, and was largely attended, tho Council Chamber being well filled. Homo slight decoration of tho oliambor hnd been mndo for tlio occasion. The centra tahlo was covered 1 with tho Union Jack, and suspended tibovo it wits Nelson's famous signal in miniature flags. Apologies for alfcouco were received from Messrs I'. It. Siargood, E. E, C. Qiuok. i\ Barr, the Hon. J. B Callan, and Mr .lames Allen, JI.P. 'I'iio lust-named wrolo iis follows;-" Tlio oomimtition in tho lmilding of ships of war seems to l>o as teen, or oven keener, than ever. However inuHi wc regret it, Navy Leaguers can have only one opinion, and that is licit wc must-keep ahead in tho competitive contest and earnestly hope tlrat other nations may come to seo how vital the. matter of sea control and ojwji stfa. communication is lo tho British people. living as wo do in New ZraJ.-aid, communications must year by year become mora antf more tho niutter of our earned consideration. Isolation would lie intolerable, ;u;d occupalion of our country disastrous-to every ono of us. If wo are to prevent, isolation wc must have control of the I'aeifis waterways, a 6 well- as those in tho Nortlieni Hemisphere. This problom is a huge one, and 1 fear bat few of U3 have faced it; but, surely, it has to bo squarely faced " The .Mayor (Mr John Wilson, who presided, said it wa3 with very great pleasure that ho was present to open tho annual meeting. The object of tho society was a very laudiiblo one, especially in'tho direction of educating tho youth of tho city and the children at school. 'Hie annual report, of which ho had been pleased get a- copy, showed that tho society was a real Ib'o one, and he trusted it would go on doiruj good work. There were a great many other leagues in the city, and ho did not know whothcr (hero was room for ihcm all, but there was certainly room for tho Navy League. Ho did not know that ho could say very much about tho objects of tho league. He had not been a member of tho lcaguo hitherto, but ho hoped to join it.—(Applause.) Now and again wo had a war scare, and a patriotic feeling came to the surface, but Iho real and proper idea was to invest and try to ei.couni.go a patriotic spirit when there was no war scarce. He would ask Mr J. A. Johnsiono To tako charge- of tho meeting. .Mr Johnstone, said ho Hind prepared his remarks for tho occasion, and woidd, with tho permission of thoso present, read Ihciu. Up continued as follows:—

Owing to lliu absence of tho president, Sir James Mills, it. devolves upon mo today to tako his place.. It is with much regret I liavc |to inform yc/u that wo aro übout to Ixj deprived of Sir James's valuablo services to this organisation. Wo nil recognise, 1 - am sure, that Sir James was tho right man in tho riyht place, but his frwpwit and prolonged abser.cos from tho Dominion havo apparently mado hin; feci that lip ouqhl to relinquish the oflicc, lor ho has cabled asking to bo relieved of it. If Sir James wore hero wo should all liko to ask him to reconsider his decision, but in his absence we must, however reluctantly, carry out his wishes in tho matter. Under the circumstances, it is fortunate, that wo have on our exioutiro oim who is well qualified for tho presidentship, and who has rendered llio league great service over fiinco tiio OLigo branch was formc<l, 1 refer to our esteemed colleague, Mr James Allen, M.l'.—(Applause.) His nomination will lie placed in your hands this afternoon, ami will, 1 am confident, bo received cordially and with unanimity. Unfortunately, a prior scini-poiiliral engagement prevents Mr Allen beiiuj with us lo"-<tiy. The annual rqwrt is, I think, ono of the moat encouraging wo liavo ever had. 'Jlio review o! tho naval position of out Kinpiro, with whioli it opens, is, 1 venture to think, a very fair and ic-iiitiletc survey, and our secretary is to Ixi complimented on his grip of a subject to which, alas! too few of Uio dwellers in this land of ours give adequate consideration.—(Applause.) H is mainly tho need there is for educating tha general public, and the rising generation in particular, to a knowledge, of what pari, tho British navy has played in the building up of tho King's vast Empire, of what it is doing toduy, and of what it may at any time bo called upon to <ib in ' tho future, that railed the. Navy League into lieing. That necessity unquestionably exists oven in tho Motherland, notwithstanding tlm unrivalled traditions and history of tho Hritish navy, from tho limes- of King Alfred to tho present day. r Wo horo aru not so closely in touch with thoso traditions as the inhiibitanks of (Ireat Britain, and we havu not ever before our eyes as they havo Iho greatest navy tho world liiui seen, nor have wo constantly in our midst those heroic olHcers who command and litem who servo in the unrivalled ships of which it is composed. How much greater then is the necessity for our branch horo to nttcinpt tho education of our fellow citizens, and thoso who a few years henco will occupy, our places, to a knowledge of llio responsibility that rests upon every member of our rfmpiro with regard to tho navy. How necessary it is, too, that wc should lead them to impress on (heir representatives in Parliament that first and foremost in their dpty to the Kmpiro must bo their regard for tho maintenance of tho supremacy of that fleet which to our nation means everything. Jn the words of Lord Selbornc:—"Tho navy means for you your existence as an Empire; it means for you tho fuel, that you aro free from invasioiC it means for you your daily food and daily employment. Tho navy is all and in nil and everything; therefore, though tho cost is great, it is little compared with what. it brings lack to you."' Addressing llio" Hritish nation on this subject, Lord Hal<lano (Secretary of Stale for War) said: •' The two things this country most needs nxo an instructed people and an invincible navy." To lioth of these doctrines wo of the Navy League, subscribe. We may lay modest claim to credit for seeking to "carry into practice tlio first of these principles, and our work in the public and private schools of Otago is evidence of tho fact and of tho measure of success wo havo attained. In this connection I should like to say ono word by way of appreciation of the kilH.l help that is extended to us by the teachers of Iwtli primary and secondary schools iii Otago.—(Applause.) It is only by reason of their co-opomlion that wc aro able- to accomplish anything worth whilo in our school work. As regards the second i doctrine tluil Iho Kmpiro must havo an invincililo navy, our Government, urged on from time to timo by this and kindred branches, lias not only in a moderate way suksidised the Imperial navy, but by tlm gift of a great battlo cruiser has shown the world what further sacrifice New Zealand is prepared to make when occasion demands it.—(Applause.) Seeing that .tho ' Navy League makes tho enlightenment of I he community—old ami young alike—the main plank of its platform, it is rendering jhc State a service, the vahio of which it is not possible for anyone of us to compute. If the facts of history count for anything, wo must all have, realised that, as it was by supremacy at soa that tho Hritish Kmpiro was won, it is by that alone that it can be maintained. When we (vino to consider Britain's position in the, world as a commercial trader s—the greatest tho world has known—and to realise that our vast- trade could not be carried on for ono day if it were not protected by tho ships of his Majesty's navy, it becomes APiKirrnt lo ns that no sacrifice wc may be wiled uikiii to make should be too great for us ungrudgingly to bear. In 1910 the trade of the Empire, most of it carried in British ships, and consisting mainlv of imports and exports, amounted to tho enormous sum of £1,595.751.000. This gigantic trade, which the possession for over a century of an invincible navy has enabled Britain (o build up and extend, has made ih:> Homeland what she is to-day, the most free oountrv and the most influential for good of which there is any iycoiyl in history.—(Applause.) It is our privilege to Ivlong to that nation, ami we should feel that we owe it a, duly of service, not. merely on occasions such as this, but in everyday life, striving wherever we have the opnorUinily to extend and ciik-go the league's sphere of usefulness. Notwithstanding what our detractors may say to tho contrary, there is no evider.ee'thai the maritime spirit of our nation is on the wane. It k in fact, nuito otherwise, and one has only to read of the rccont c.}iange<? effected in the Admiraltv. organisation to Iv convinced that the leaders of both political parties in Britain were never more united nnd alert than thev are to-dav in iheir endeavours to maintain tlio superiority •■Mid pfjicienr'; of ihe British tleet even to Die ntnsost limit of the nation's rcsoiiTCS. I think, too. that we may siy without boasting that llw same snirit* rervsoVs our noo wherever it is Icoitcl throughout the F>i , pi p *'- — UpplniKav) I will now call li»on Mr Hoiking to move tJso adoption of th rt reixirt. Mr J. I*. HoskiiiT. K.fl. in moving iho adoption of the rowrt. in id l>e wa« .i<-ting merely as a «ulvlit«te for jli.it sfolwirt ".ronnrfer of the leant*. Mr J'tncs Allen, rt wrs very jalijferlory to rote that the intere4 in Hi* leapup during the ivist yew lind been well maintained Between 2' v o and 5C05 had competed for the priu\s offorcil by tho loaffue, and some of

tho essays had been so excellent that it was thought tfiey woro justified iti forwarding them to Admiral King-Hall for his ix;nira!. In connection with tho suptho lcaguo wis receiving from tlio publio schools, a great deal was due lo tho educational authorities. Tho Education Board Jiad facilitated tho work of the league in the schools, and tho inspectors hud entered into the work with an enthusiasm that -was worthy of the highest commendation, and ho thought they could not speak too highly of the way tlio teachers throughout Otago had takon u]>on t'r.emsclvea tho work of instnur.ing the children in tlio preparation of (ho cs«i\s. 11 w satisfactory to see that the membership o[ tho league had inorcoGod during the past year. Sc-wo 40 members liad been put on the roll, and it was honed that during tlio coming year they would be able 7 to add 100 members to tho 450 they already had. That the league- was a body worth belonging lo need scarcely be insisted upon with those present, but lie would liko to Riy a word to emphasise- its objects as far a.s tho outside people worn concerned 1 . Tlio league ww not a bollicosq institution. It waa in Iho nature of a missionary socioty. which was spreading tho gospel of naval defence.' Tho gospel they preached was founded upon this: That tho maintenance of tho British Umpire—that was, Grout Britain and her dominions throughout tlio world-was dependent upon its superiority up™ the sea. That was a doctrine subscribed to by all parties in Great Britain. So that they might tako it as fully and firmly established that if an answer was wanted to Iho question: " Upon what does tho British Empire depend?" the answer was, " Tho superiority of tiho British navy at sea." It was tho object of the lcaguo to instruct tho public. Mr Hosking went on to point out tho o-flforts made to interest the public tchoob in the subject of naval defenco by means of eom]>etitions, and Slid tlioy had, in addition, lectures dolivcred, in connection with which lie thought great praise was duo to thoir secretary (.Mr C._ Darling). 110 would repeal that tho objects the Navy Ijcaguo hwt in view woro to inculcate among tho publio a tnio appreciation of tho necessity of a navy, and tho purpose which it served 1 . They did not want war, but it was essential thai wo shotdd lie able to defend ourselves if war was made U|wn us. Great Britain was practically tlio only market for our produce—tho only free market,—and let Great Britain go down among nation?. and wlicro was our selling power? I/xiking at the matter from tho salo of New Zealand produco point of view, a etrong navy must, commend itself to everyone. He admitted that there were many questions besides that of defence that occupied 1 thoir minds. There were social questions, and tho effect of inatcrinl and moral progress, and in order to deal with theso questions to the best advantage what wo must do was to maintain our freedom and 'our independence. If iho freedom and independence which we now possessed was taken from ns it would bo lo tho disadvantage of a solution of these questions. If we wanted material progress to go on wo must maintain a strong navy that could not bo de-feated.—(Appl.-uisc.) Dean Filchell, who seconded the motion, said that, much 'had been written of lato on tho economio aspecte of war, its relation to international conimorco and finance. It was easily shown that in the event of war between two leading European notions the first, shot fired would shatter public credit everywhere. All securities would drop, multitudes of people would bo ruined, not only in the two lielligercnt countries, but throughout' nil tho commercial world. It could be further shown, doubtless, that in a contest of that kind tho victorious nation would bu damaged ns nineJi as tho vanquished nation. Further, it was contended— though hero they might suspect a fallacy lurking—that tho victorious nation would have no possible way of recouping its losses from any indemnity it might exact. It was said, for example, that Germany was no bettor olf for taking tho Danish "provinces or the French provinces, that it was no richer for exuding two hundred millions from France after Iho war of 1870, and that in a very short time Germany was.impoverished while franco was none tlio worse off. They would read all these things in a Ixiok which ought- to hi! read by ovorybdy, and which was being read by everybody all over Bnrcpc. He was referring to Norman Angoll's book " The Great Illusion." It was a very great liook, and its argument in substance was this: That if nations attended only to their own selfinterest thoy would not go to \rar. They might disregard all moral checks, such as sentiments of 'humanity and senso of justice, and so on. Self-interest wns sufficient to restrain it nation from going to war if it intelligently understood the situation, Now there was .something wanting there, ho thought. They felt that tho whole case was not stated, that- there woro other factors. Thc.ro was such .a thing as sentiment of national honour.-(Apnlnuse.) For his part he believed it was ono of the mast )>owcrfill' influences operating on (ho minds of men. When Bismarck doctored the Ems telegram ho knew Unit ho would wound the honour of tho French nation to flic quick and bring on the war for which France was unprepared but whioh ho desired. They had really the same human nature to-day, and it was impossible to imagine a state of reeling on on© or both sides of tho North Sea—a feeling of insecurity and consequent panic arising from a notion that tho national honour had lioen slighted. There would be such an outburst of passion that all prudential considerations would I*> swept away, the hands of tho strongest Government would bo forced, ami the guns would go off of themselves. They could imagine that state of things, and in tho event of that contingency 'ho was for having as many guns as possible—(applause)— and men behind them who knew how lo shoot straight. It was contended that these British possesions that. n<lorned (.lie map wore not really the tmssessions of Great Britain; that these tracts of country were the possessions of the people who inhabited them, that all that Great Britain iwssesscd there was opportunities of trade, a market, and that it possessed markets in the samo Sense in other countries over which it made no claim of [wssession, such lis Germany for example. So that if these British possessions slmiilil erase to bo British, Britain would be no ixxiror and would Slider no loss, even of self-respect— if they could imagine it. They were pointed in illustration to the smaller countries of Euro]*, where |>eop|e lived in content mid ponce and self-respect. But these analogies were not homologous. These countries had always been-in tho same scale, and had no profound sense of 'humiliation as we should Irnvo if wo lost what we called and thought to be our British possessions over sens. He fell- himself—and ho thought ho was expressing the feelings of others— that a sense of citizenshin in a world-wide ICurpire was an inspiring thins.—(Applause.) lie was qiiilu sure that a feeling of that kind must have a most powerful influonco on character and action. 110 was for maintaining the fooling of British citiwnship. lie was a British citizen first and a New Zcalandcr afterwards, if the Prime Minisior would permit him lo say so. As a British citizcu_ ho counted for' something. As a Now Zcalandcr he counted for 'nothing. With all the wonderful means of coiuniunication now employed there was no rccison why they ns New Zealamktrs should not }*> also citizens of the British Umpire, and ho tool; it that tlio Navy League was jprobably the most powerful inlluuice existing hero to cultivate that sentiment of British citizenship.—(Applause.) We in these lands of tlio south had special need to think of the navy, for overhanging ns like an avalanche were those nations of Eastern Asia which had such tremendous possibilities. They did not want thoir thoughts and modes of life to the fJcmianisod, "and still less that they should fall umW Mongol influence. Let thorn imagine, when China should have reached the naval and military development of Japan, when they pot t'he sense of power awl a new national consciousness further developed, what would be our position. Tlie British navy would l:o our only defence against a terrible invasion, worse than tint which wrecked the Roman Umpire and brought on t| )o dark ages. We were threatened with a disaster worse than that, and our prayer and most devout wish should lie thai the ascendancy of the British fleet ill these Eastern sras should bo maintained.—(Applause.) He desired earnestly to support the work of the Navy Lcor-jo and to hold out a land to other branohts in every part of tile Km pi re.—(Applause.) Tho motion was carried unanimously.

DrColcpihoun moved "that this meetir.3 commends to the community tic work of this Navy League" and said tho bare motion in itsolf required- no support from him or from anyone okc. It wouM commend itself to everyone present, but there were many outside tho mooting to whom axjriimonk might bo addressed which were sufficient to earn- conviction that all shculd belong to tho league. ITo would sucßcst that tho committee take into coniidoration the fixing of the subscription at such a sum as. would mean tho co-operation 01* a largo number of persons who dns'-rcd to belong to the_ league, and who could not afford a guinea a year.—(" Hear, hoax.") Ho suggfttud that the subseripiio.-i might bo Arranged so as to provide for them being two classes of members. (Tho Chairman: Wo do that* \Ve havo associates.) Ho would tlien express his surprise, that thu members of tha loaguo wero not to lie

counted by thousands instead of hundreds, 'litey did not imagine that Great llritain spent £'44,000,000. and moro, on tho navy merely for tho look of tho thing. Tho magnitude 0l " l 0 sllm s \' on t weT S l ,fnr tipon the navy was an indication o( tho magnitude of\t]u> danger Hint liad to bo prepared for. There were 100 nations who wanted their place in tho sun, and what they wanted was our |>laco in tho sun. Tho moment any weakness was shown llioro were Powers ready to wrest tho sceptre from (treat llriUvn and destroy her as a living nation. It would do no harm if another speaker cmphasUcd tho danger of which tho Very Her. the Dean had spoken. We were merely a handful of people within loot\ 15 days' travel of lh) greatest pO))nlation" thai the world oDnlained. and Australasia had dciihcrately thrown down tho gauntlet to Northern Asia. Wo had said to tho Asiatics " You aro an inferior people, wo will not mix with yon, wo will not havo

you with us," nnd wb were not able to lrold that, position unless wo wero at the back of Great Britain. If protection was to censo to-morrow we would havo those Asiatics down upon us, nnd as wo would never submit to As'atie dominion it would moan that wo would he wiped out of existence. Great 'rations liad grown up ami had fallen through indifference. Mr J. Waddfill Smith seconded llui molion, and saiil (ho few remarks ho liad lo make would lie with record to Navy I<ea<;ii? work in connection with the primary schools. Ho was present at the first meeting ol tho league, and they had just formed a branch of tio b-ague in his school. Looking through tho annual report this year '" > found-thcro were 44 of three school branches with a membership of nearly 2000.—(Applause.) Ho thought this was a very creditable stato of affairs. He voiced tho opinion of Icachors whrn'lio said that they owed a. debt of gratitudo to tho ablo and enorgeic secretary of tho (league. Referring to tlio eompet.itions in signalling, bugling, and shootim,' ho said thcro wero tlirec battalions of Cadet* making a total of fully 1000, and Ihoro was a marked improvement in tho marksmanship of tlio boys. Ho also referred to visits to ships by tho children, and tho good results obtained therefrom, and mentioned I3iat every soldier was taught to saluto tho (las and made to understand what tho Hag stood for. Then every chill was fought iMtriotio songs, but nothing jingoistic. They, as te.ic.hbrs, wero striving to cultivato in tlio children a spirit of patriotism

Tho Prime Minister was cordially rctoived on rising lo speak. Ho said ho had not, expected to l'o called upon lo tny anything at that function. Ho desired, however, to express liis full sympathy with all that ho hud heard said, anil io congratulate most earnestly those who wore associated with the Navy I.caguo movement in this town Ho hair listened with very great pleasure to ttio sjiecches dclivorcd by Jlr llosking jukl Dean Fitehott. Unfortunate!}, lib had iK>t heard all tlio chairman had to say. Reference had been mado to tile danger of tho situation, and lo the fact that Clhina was rapidly developing;. Jt might 1» remembered that oven at a time when the Asiatics were not organised, forces had been got togutltor by Gciigis Khan, who, he supposed, was tho greatest murderer of human kind. It wis sail? that ho slew no loss than 27 millions of Chinese, apart altogether from tho enormous slaughter vvimed on in Western Asia and liistcxn Europe. If it was possible for an unknown jwreon to organise tho forces of Asia to that citoat in thoso (lays, what might nob be. feared from a properly organised army and navy in a modernised country like China? Wo fell wo wero insufficiently protected. Undoubtedly was the lirst ano greatest line of defence. It was possible to imagino a time of great international difficulty when two powerful nations wero involved, and thu licet necessary for our defenco could not bo spared. One dreaded to think of such a contingency, especially if wo wero without a properly trained laiid force. Both sides of politics were unite! in insisting that our peoplo sl;on!d drill for purposes of defence—(Applnusfl.) Of course, it was an experiment in a JiritiVh community, but if» they' lifted this question above party and made it entirely a national question thoro wa« no reason why they should not push on their work. They were meeting with considerable difficulties. Thoro were those —somo from conscientious motives, others because, they did not wish to take a share of the. responsibilities of defence—who wero endeavouring to evade that. He was very pleased to say that they wero in a minority—(applause),—and it was tho intention of tho Govcnmcnt to push on the work. Of course, it was never really tho intention of the Legislature that those" who infu-xd should bo imprisoned in ttho common gaol and twaied' as ordinary prisoners. Punishment must ho provided, but of an order not «> degrading as tho present punishment that ensued in consequence of the civil law l>eing ignored. Personally, he felt dooply interested in the whole (liiestion, and had liccn listening to the subjects brought up from a trade aspect as wtill a.s from the point of view of national sentiment Ho hoped that the words of Ur Colquhoun would he heard ntid heeded, and that wider interest and greater support would in future 1« given to the icaguo they wero promoting.—(Applause.)

'Jlio motion was carried unanimously. Tho following oflicei-s were elected for the ensuing 12 months:—President. Mr Jns. Allen, M.P.; vice-president!). Metsrs J. A. .lohiirtaio and Robert Ohisholm; honorarv Iroifiiicr, Mr 0 It. Rilchto; secretary, Mr '.Jharlcs Darling; committee—Messrs Peter llarr, H. S. Mack, V. 0. ])ri(l»mnii, (!. it. Mullock, Robert Chjshohn, \Y. R I'/lmond, Peter Goycn, P.L.S., C. C. Graham, .1. 11. Iloskitijr, K.C.. J. Jcflery. J. A. Johnstone, Colin Macandrew, W. A Moore, Professor 1". Marshall, W. J. Morrcll. M.A., G. It. Richie. I'. R Sarpeod. W. D. Stewart, J. Waddell Smith, I'.' Waite, .1. V. Woodhoirec; Ladies' Committee—Mesdamcs \V. V. Kdir.ond (chairwoman), J. M. Ritchie, Tlioomin, W. A. Moorj, Eardloj C. Reynolds, James Allen, .1. M. Gnllaway, ,1. C. M'tirorßC,. J i\ Woodhouso, and Aufrero Feuwiok (secretary), and Jlisscu Williams and Rait ray.

Mr W. liurnctt, who moved the election of tho executive, took tlio opportunity of siyiiifr a few words about tho Navy League, lie referred to an occasion last year on which ho said 140,000 Uritish soldiers wero under immediate orders to j*o to Rnlgimn, and when threo divisions of the fleet wero all ready prepared with coal secretly n:id quietly shipped to converge at one moment at a corlnin point. The enemy was not willine.' to face it. Tho liritish navy and nothing clso averted the war. Rritain would not havo lwen in that position to dictate her tevins as she did had it not licen for her navy. Ho urged Iho necessity of placing honour above commerce. Had it not been for the honour of such men as Drako and Frobishor and Raleiffh where would our frozen mutton and butter and chcesu have been?—(Laughter and npplaurc.) Tho day of the iruinoa man lui<l gone, and the dav of the shilling man had come. They ought to odticfito their shilling man, for ho was the man who stood behind the nun and shed hiri blood. Tlio German Navy licainio was so because it appealed to the people, and they should appeal to the people too.—(Applause.)

TliO' Chairman expressed the prrent indebtodness of the Loainio to the speakers who had coine to it? aid at that meetitii;. It was tho principul of the two opportunities they hail annually of sneaking to tho public of Olago,_ and on no occasion had tho speeches risen to a hisrher level than they had that day.—(Apnla.u*\|

The at 5.45 p.m. with the hearty singing o! a verse of the National Anthem.