NAVY LEAGUE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2668, 3 May 1905, Page 13

NAVY LEAGUE.

AXNTJAL MEETINa OF THE 0T4.G0 BBANGH. The annual meeting of the Otago branch of the Kavy I^eague was held in the City Council Chambers on Wednesday, 19th ult when Mr John Roberts, C.M.G. (presidents occupied the chair. There were also present—Messrs James Allen,- M.H.E, H D Bedford, M.H.R., T. O. Bridgeman. Wm" r^% ?r? r iSOi 500 * I *^ Messrs Herbert %?^- , £ C^^ J - Eggleton, _A. G. Fenwick, Percival Fenwick, W...-S Fitzgerald, Wm. -Fleming, Lieutenant Gasd-'ner, Messrs C. C. Graham, S.M., J. H. Hos- £?% i» Joh sstone,5 st one, C. Macandrew, C. D> S. Moore, W. A. Moore," Moss Wm Murray ppattullo, l^gh^ p ODe , E. F,! S tt^'t G-wR"G -w R " ra* cb^ ,T- X- Sidey, M.H.R., J. W. Smith, H. D. Str,onach, Uaptam Strange Messrs J Sinclair Thomson, E. W. Walden, his Honor Mr Justice Wilhams^ Messrs A. Wilson, M.A., John Withers, and W. Wyinks. Messrs J. iM. Jiitehie, P. B. Saryood; R. Chisholm, P. Goyen, G. Fenwick, and the Rev. W. Cur-zon-Siggers forwarded apologies for absence. The following- are .the principal" clauses in the annual report: — . . - ; Formation of ihe , Braack.— The Otago - branch of -the Navy jbeagufi was. incotporsied by warrant dat«d 7th April, 1904, but it- has been iheught, desirable, for, the- purposes of tJie annual xeport and' balance feh'eet,to bring tiro- branch's .year into conformity.-' with the Government -year; ending 31st JJarih. _ Objects.— In this first report it may be desirable to say something of the /object for which the league .exists, which/ is, in a word, to' ensure Britain's "command -of the sea. " Btrt" command of the sea," writes Mr H. W. Wilson in the current number of the National Eeview, "is not a thing to be gained and held by merely reciting formula or pompons phrases anenfr sea-power. It is an object to be fought for and to be won in battle. In time of peace it can oajy rest potentially with any fleet, and its potential possession depends on a considerable leuperioriiy1 euperioriiy -of force. A fleet equal to that 'of its antagpnists m force cannot" be said to command the .sea, "even potentially, and- in estimatingforce" the duties and : responsibilities which will fa J upon &c various.fleets musi be considered. ' The necessity for • retaining 1 supremacy^ on Che sea was well put by' Xtred SeTborae in » speech delivered on the 2Sth February, 1904, when he said': " The -navy .means for ycu- your existence, as an Empire, It for yon fife ' fact , tlrirfr you are free* 'from invasion ;- it means" for .you your daily focd and daily- emplovmeai:, "..The vrs&vy is, all-in' ali- and everything; .'iierefore, -thongh the' cost is great, :it is lit^'e' compared with what rt brings back to you,." ' And \ the- present Fust Lord of tKe "ActmiraTty, '.Admiral Sir John Fisher; G.C.8., may be quoted in the expression of his view of the policy that should .be adopted for the safeguarding of the British navy's position "among tfae fighting fleets of tKe world: "-We require fearleES vjgorous, and progressive" administration open to ,any never resting on its " oars— for to stop is to- go back— and forecasting every eventuality.". Membership.— Satisfactory additions to the roll of the branch have been' made during the year, and there are now 328 members and 6 associates on the -boots. In addition to these-, -there is one honorary vice-president connectedywith our branch, this- distinction being carried _with an annual subscription of five guineas, and one life member. liife membership is secured by one payment of 10 guineas, and it is worthy of remark that the honour of being the first life member m Otago has been won, not by a member of -the wealthier classes, but by a tradesman workujg with Tiis'-own hands. Tie losses during the year number 8, and these are almost entirely accounted for by deaths .and removals from^th.e colony. Bemittance to Head Office.— One hundred • pcunashas been forwarded to - the London .office of the league -by ~way of contribution to the fund.* of the "parent body. The constitution of the league provides for the pey- ' meat of nt least five shillings for every ■■member and associate belonging to the colonial branches, but your committee found itself in a position to exceed this, and deemed it desirable to make a larger remittance. ', Secretaryship. — Shortly after the date of ■She first general meeting ot members, Mr j Johnstone intimated to your committee that ' -lie could not -Eec his ■way to retain the ' honorary- secretaryship of the league. It was ' intended to appoint a paid secretary to the > post, but "ultimately Ifr Johnstone" consented j to -leifciain the honorary secretary, on' tfie condition' that tie salary which would otSerwise ! lave •^jeen paid to Whatever secretary s might j iave been appointed should be divided among j the members of his clerical staff, who had < beea, and still -are, assisting him in the work — «>f _ the league. -Lieague^- Maps , and Literature. — At the instartderbf the head office, your committee made an endeavour to induce the Government •to- adopt the Navy League map and handliaok in "the public schools of the colony, and ! also to. have '"The British Jtfavy, Past and! Present," '. brought into use' as a text-book ' for tfie study of the subject. This effort was unsuccessful, hut 25 maps were imported, and * presented to some of the principal schools in i Otago, and tie Jiducation Board kindly dis- j Jributed among the head teachers "of its \ schools a number of the text-books with j which your committee supplied them. During ' the year Mr Wyatt's lecture, " The Mastery ! of the Seven Seas," was printed, and a copy j given to every child in the -Fourth, Fifth, and ■ Sixth Standards of the Education Board schools. Trafalgar Day.— On the 21st October, 1904, the ninety-ninth anniversary of the battle, yotu? committee secured the recognition of the event by the display of flags by the city and harbour- authorities, the mercantile community, and others, as well as by suitable ceremonies in the schools, while the news- j „ papers contained leading articles dealing with the battle of Trafalgar, and with the work of the' Navy League. For the centenary cele- ' bration this year it is hoped that itv^will -c possible to have an extended programrrfp and to make the occasion, a memorable one. • School Prizes. — A competition was held in t the public schools for prizes presented by the branch, the subject set being the naval battles described in Fitchett's book *' Deeds that Won the Empire." Sixty-five competed, and the prize list is here reproduced: — I — Cecil M'Lean Smith -QSaikoxai), Allan John Fairmarld * (Outra-m), Wilfred Graham Pyle (St. Bathans), William Douglas Fitzgerald (Arthur Street) ; ll— Stanley H. M'Pqnald (Green ( Island) ; III — W. "Wardrop (Kaikorai) ; "commended — Malcolm Ernest Buchanan (Kelsc), Mary Neilson Hewson (Tahatika), Harry Edmonston (Hampden), James M. Abernethy (George Street), Annie Malcolm Brunton (Weston), Augustus Henry Oswin (Kaikorai) ; jtifts — Annie Harrison (Tahora), Rosle Garrett

(Tailors), John Graham (Tahora). "Wherever it was found pra-cticable a member of the league was appointed to attend the break-ing-up ceremony of each of the schools from , which the successful competitors were drawn, ! in order to present the prizes and -to ad-lress I the pupils on the subject of the league's work. 1 Advantage was taken of the prize-Say celebra- ■ tions also in connection with the presentation r . of the maps before referred to, most of the , j schools affected being attended by a member : of your committee or of the league. A com- ' j petition was also held in the Boys' High I School under the auspices of the league, and 1 the following gained prizes: — Senior — A. HenLTL T deison and F. Br 1 Barton (equal) 1, J. H. , Bannerinan 2, J. 9- White 3 ; junior — E. ■ i WV.te 1, A. U. Ussher 2. i Visit of the Australasian Squadron. — On ' February 15 the honorary secretary visited ' jj Admiral Fanshawe on board H.M.S. EuTyalus. ■ j* which had just arrived at the heads, and ■ ' made arrangements for the members of the ■ ; league, with their families, to visit the flagr j ship." The trip was fixed for Febiuary 18, but. , 1 as will no doubt be within the recollection of ■ ' members, a mishap to the- Koputai prevented ! those present going- aboard the flagship. On t February 24 about 200 of the cadets from the j public schools wer-e conveyed to Port Chali niers by the Harbour .Board to inspect H.M.S. \ j Phoebe, and on the '2sth boys from the Otago High School ha.d a similar trip. Lieutenant ' ,~Robar£s received the Bpys^and, after address1 . v ing them, .had them 'taken round the vessel said., shown as much as possible of her equip-

' -iqent. '_'_*"... ' j ~Scnqol Branches. — Up to date the secretary i has ".been advised .of the formation of subbranches oMhe league in the following schools > — viz. : Otago Boys' High School. Dunedin ! Collegiate School,' High Street, Anderson's Bay, Bannockburn. Kaikorai, and St. Clair ! Pufeic Schools. The number of school mem- ' bers- enroled to date is somewhat disappointing to" your committee, being only a fiaction > of^that on the books of some of the other i branches in New Zealand (the secretary of the : Wellington branch, for instance, having enrolled 1100 in all), in «pite of the fact that i N there has probably been a considerably greater i amount 'of money expended by this branch for the benefit of the' children in the schools than there Txas been in ajiy other province. However, efforts are now being^ made to alter this state of affairs, and it is hoped that next year's rer>orfc -.will record' a large addition to thri membership Tinder this head. ', Thanks. — Valuable assisiauce has been given your .committee in its work by the secretary of tbe' Education Board. Mr Pt G. Pryde, and by the beard's staff of inspectors; by the Harbour Board, especially^ in^the matter of granting the use of tugs for visiting the vessels of 'the Australasian 1 -soruadron ; by the , Otago Daily Times .and the Evening Star, in generally supporting the objects of the league. The Dunedin Gify Corporation, the rector of •the '-Boys' Sigh ' SehiS&i, the head masters of niaay-of - the- .^Education- Board's schools, the ' officials ,' of -.tire'- Union 'Steam Ship Company " (Limited)., and- the examiner of the competi- , {Son papers rsiso deserve a word of thanks for thed? work_jn the interests of the branch. Warehousemen's Association's Annual Prizs. ."jour, committee addressed tlie New 1 Zealand Warehousemen's Association with the request that it should" make an annual contribution to the league, to be expended in prizes. The executive- . of the -'association has kindly fallen in with this suggestion, ana prizes are to bs awarded this year for efficiency among the members of 'the cadet corps attached to the various schools. Although, perhaps, this matter is scarcely within, the scope of the main objects of the' league, youT committee considers that in encouraging the cadet corps in the school it is fostering that national spirit which must prove our best ally in attaining the ends we have specially at heart. 1 Suggestions for the Incoming- Committee — Your committee feels tliat it is from the work among the children that the best results are to be achieved,- and would suggest to their successors -ibat more attention shou;a be °iven to this branch of 'the league's activities. If possible, frequent lectures (illustrated, if po=3ible) should bs arranged for, and the : children encouraged in every legitimate way

to form sub-branches of the league in the schools. ■ The President said it only rested with him to move the 'adoption of the report, s which had been drafted "by Mr Johnstone, and was an excellent one. Mr Johnstone had been an invaluable servant to the league,- and his report left -very little more for the chairman to do than move it. It covered every - possible phase of -$he sub- < jecfr, so that any remarks from the chair- ' man would be tb a large extent repeating . it. "He would suggest that the press should 1 publish the report in extenso. The move- ! meat had started a -^year past in February ■ for the establishment of the league, which i had made excellent profress. The whole ! business 'of the league had been taken up j with a' very great amount of cordiality, j and the best evidence of the very hearty I response > made for support lay in the fact that they had now 328 members.—(Ap- , plause.) There was no doubt the objects of a league like this must be left to a large extent to the younger members of the community. The older ones had their own j Imperialistic ideas, and most of them had i a strong remembrance of the Home Coun- I try and its associations, but the younger ! people of ths colony -were somewhat free j of that sentiment, and he thought it rested ' upon the older ones to develop a love for those things connected with the Homeland among the younger portion of the ! community, especially as regarded the j things connected with the league, which ; dealt with one of the vital points of the j Imperial position. So long as England re1 tamed the supremacy on the sea she could 1 always maintain her position,, but as soon j as she lost that, calamity would probably • arise. He therefore thought their efforts

should very largely be in the direction of educating the "young people and developing in them an interest in the league and its objects, and he thought their interests might be aroused by a system of lectures. There were one or two who were prepared to deliver lectures to scholars and the young people at a moderate fee, and it was j also proposed to initiate a system of magio lantern slides, which would be more effective with young people, and would secure their closest attention. They thought that these slides, with the services of lecturers making- periodical visits to the district, J would arouse a much larger amount of in- ! terest than could be done by any other means. They had had competitions last yea,r in the schools in connection with which prizes had been given, and great j interest had been taken in the schools over j the matter. He did not know whether it was desired that the report should be read, but if not he would move its adoption. — (App.kyse.) 1 1 Mr James Allen, in seconding the motion, ' eaid the report was a very excellent one prepared by a very excellent secretary. The ] objects of the league and some of the statements came very near home at the present time. They came very near to him as a "Vehjcteer office?. Ths Volunteers were

r abou? s* eiiter upon Easter manoeuvres, and porti;«> of the force was to devote its attention to defending the coast, and so the nfivy came very much into their thoughts He thought the leaguo might . well consider it part of its rfuty to examine j the condition ot the defences of our own j harbour, and to cultivate the public feolj ing with respoc-i to defence of our harbour. As far as he knew, the Otago Harbour was the easiest and most cheaply defended of the whole coast of New Zea- | land, and it could be made almost perI fectly secure against a, hostile cruiser or I torpedcer. He would not like to say this was so now. This not only meant something for the people hero, but also something for the British navy, for Otago Harbour would be a place of refuge,' a place for coaling and docking, and there was no place in the colony where all these facilities could be provided better than in Otago Harbour. The league should cultivate something stronger than sentiment with respect to our own harbour. The ieague's objects wore such as to commend themselves to everyone, and it did and would draw this country and the Imperial country closer together, and showed the people j I that in a united navy there was the ! I strongest bond that could possibly exist. — 1 ! (Applause.) j J His Honor Mr .Justice Williams expressed ' : the opinion that tyie report was highly sat.'s- ' J -factory, and he was pleased to see so much good wort had already been done. The ! league was an institution that could not . stand still, and it must be made as active as possible. There could be no doubt it I was of the utmost importance to the British : I Empire that its navy should be supreme. ; ;It was really impossible to exercise the • virtues of weakness and forbearance unlo=s a country was strong. — (Laughter.) It was, j moreover, our duty not to lead our neifirh- : hours into temptation. As far as the Empire ! was cor.cerned there was no doubt whatever ! ! abont the necessity for a strong navy, and , I for united public opinion to beep such navy \ lin front. It should not be a navy for ] offence, but one for defence ; the nation • ( clid not want anvthinsr that belonged to , nnrono pl.«e. but it wanted to protect what : , b?lonjK>d to it. Having a very excellent ' coast line. New Zealand was ve-rv liable tb ' , attacks frcm rovinc cruisers, and there was reason why New Zealand <shouid takp lun this matter. — (Apnlause.) He trusted , the league would continue to prosper. — ' (Atiplause.} i Mr A. Wilson, rector of the Boys' High ' School, referred to the excellent work, don©

by the honorary secretary, Mr Johnstone. i Ho (Mr Wilson) had not the knowledge to | 1 say whether an increase in -the rixvy was j justified. He confessed an inclination ' to j believe that the men who controlled the j destinies of Great Britain had the sense to~ know what was required in the British navy, and also the resolution tb see that the navy should keep pa-ce with national requirements. Certainly if caught napping the nation would be in grievous case, and in no part of the Empire more than in New Zealand. A big navy w,as expensive, and "the taxpayer might cry out egainst it, not. being far-sighted enough, to see that this expenditure was the truest Economy: it wae really an insurance premium. The boy of to-day would be the taxpayer of to-morrow, and therefore the boys should be educated in the objects of the Navy League. This, he "took it, was the object, of extending the league to the schools. He desired to thank Mr- Johnstone for all the trouble that gentleman had taken in regard to the schools. The chief weakness in the matter was one he (Mr Wilson) h«d foreseen, and that was that there was nothinor to do. With regard to cadpt ecrps. football club, etc.. there was a. definite routine — each boy understood that he was a brick in an arch. — and that was what was wanted in connection with the league. There was not enough to do. and what young people wanted was something to dc — some responsibility. Something more than sentiment was required. All that had been done, however, had succeeded well, and so far its influence had been entirely beneficial. — (Applause.) Mr Sidey said it was generally agreed that if you wanted to get citizen soldiers who war© amenable to discipline and organisation it was necessary to commence with the boys

in the public schools. The method by which Imperial sentiment had been endeavoured to be instilled into the children had been by competitions for prizes and by "the presentation of maps. Thsse had— been presented at the annual bi - eak-un of the schools, and since then, as far as he could le-arn, no effort had been made to establish subbranches of the league in the schools. He thought the greater number of these branches that could be formed in the schools the better. The question of having joint branches had occurred to hirv If they had some centre in which the different branches were represented, the branches could sneak as a whole, and might be able to sp&ak with more authority than individual branches could. By this means Government might be induced tt> increase its contribution. Tiatterly the intention of khe Government had- "been to fortify two "harbours — Auckland and Wellington. He could not say for certain if this was so : but if it wa?. he rlid not see that it should make them relax th°ir pfforts and have our harn-our left in the lurch. Mr J. W. Smith said > t'*ey had formed a branch nf the league m the High Street School and had enlisted 60 members, which he had no doubt would inci'ease to 100. There were seven cadet corps in sailor uniform, and he thought if proper representation was made to the officers each corps

■would become member*! of the school^ague. We mentioned that Mr Ttattrav and Mr Hosfcine had promised special prizes to him for fhe school. Th-p motion for the adoption of the report was then put and carried. ELECTION" OF OFFICKRS. Mr T. K. Sidey, M.H.R., moved that the present office-bearers be re-elected, with the exception of Messrs O. W. Rattray, J. M. Ritchie, and P. R. Sargood, who had asked to be relieved, owing to various reasons, and instead of thesa gentlemen the addition of Messrs G. Ritchie, W. E. Sargood, and W. Murray. The office-bearers were then declared elected as follow: — President, Mr John Roberts, C.M.G. ; hon. secretary. Mr J. A. Johnstone : vice-presidents Hons. A. Dee Smith and Hugh Gourley, Captain Easther, R.N., and Mr Robert Chisholm; committee—Messrs Jbs. Allen, M.H.R., F. O. Bridgeniari, George Fenwick. P". Goyen, J. H. Hosking, O. Macandrew, Jas. Mills, W. A. Moore. V. G. Pryde, J. Sinclair Thomson, J. F. Woodhouse, G. Ritchie, W. Murray, and W. E. Sargood. Mr H. D. Bedford then proposed the vote of thanks included in the report, with

the addition of the names of Messrs P. Barr and A. J. C. Brown, auditors.

This was carried unanimously

Air Roberts briefly responded on behalf of the office-bearers, and moved a \ery hearty vote of thanks to the secretary (Mr Johnstone), which was also carried \uth acclamation.

Mr Johnstone thanked those present for the vote, and went on to say it had been of very g r eat benefit and ass, stance to him. to havp. associated with him the able morabors of (he committee. Members, however, should remember that each one might try to induce toineone else to join. In some cthor centres there were ladies' branches, and the ladies had presented a shield to the Admiralty for competition in gun-lay-ing 1 . It was quite true the difficulty foreseen by Mr Wilson did exist, but the league was stirring in every way possible to create the interest in the school The committee had been in consultation with the military authorities, and a scheme would be brought into operation, partly through the liberty of the Warehousemen's Association, whereby there would be shooting for the boys at floating targets, and a signalling competition was part of the scheme. The league was addressing a comprehensive letter to every schoolmaster in the province, urging formation of branches of the league.—(Applause.) A vote of thanks to the chair conclud-ed the meeting.