DUNEDIN CELEBRATIONS.
Trafalgar Day! It is n-ot a term that requires wordy explanation. At the mention there arises ia the mind a conception of its setting, Us meaning, its outcome, and the potentialities contained in that outcome. The setting of that fight has been often desciibed; its meaning — the establishment of the safely of Old England- — fully elucidated ; its outcome —^he Britirfi Empire, built on the sure foundation stone of the mastery of the sea? — stands in these days a monument to that achievement and to the race itself. With the future of this Empire thus established every citizen is concerned. And the Navy League is accepting the work of seeing that this responsibility is realised as its ■especial business. Prideful contemplation of the accomplishments of the past is pardonable ; it is profitable al&o in the degree in v.-hich it impresses upon the individual and upon the nation the responsibilities for the future necessarily accruing by reason of those performances of the past. It ia with this latte* object that the celebration, of Trafalgar Day is so enthusiastically carried out by the Navy League. Locally the event vras marked by the hoisting of Nelson's historic signal at tho Tiiangle, where the bunting, flaunting in the stiff nor'-easter of the latter part of tho day,, made a brave showing. Flags were also displayed on the public buildings.- and many of the shipping offices. That was the extent of the day celebrations. The occasion is not utilised 1)}" the 2s"avy .League so mucli for mere ostentation as for the moral lesson contained in regard to present day naval development. The evening function was designed to accomplish this latter end — emphasise that the provision and maintenance of one great Imperial fleet with subsidiary bran-ches and units in order to keep the high road open xs the only way to maintain the integrity of that Empire and preserve those over-seas dominions upon the security oi which, together with open trade routes, the economic life of the whole depends. In view of the Imperial spirit of New Zealanders this function could not, and di not, fail of being a brilliant success.
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Bibliographic details
Otago Witness, Issue 2902, 27 October 1909, Page 33
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356
DUNEDIN CELEBRATIONS.
Otago Witness, Issue 2902, 27 October 1909, Page 33
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