THE NAVY LEAGUE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3034, 8 May 1912, Page 5

THE NAVY LEAGUE.

ANNUAL REPORT OF OTAGO BRANCH. The following are the chief features of the various reports to be submitted to the members of the Navy League at the annual meeting: The Executive Committee riviews the international situation as follows:—The international situation on its naval side is as interesting and anxious to-day as it was 12 months ago. Then the Imperial Government and the Governments of other Powers and their peoples were largely concerned with the enormous cost of their national defence schemes, and the tremendous and continually-increasing burdens imposed on them by the persistent rivalry in naval armaments. To-day the Empire is no nearer finality, or even an understandinßr on the question of expenditure, while the international tension is, if anything, more rather than less acute. Nation is still arming against nation, programme is still pitted against programme, and onehalf the revenues of Europe are still being spent on instruments of destruction. Detlorablo as this state of affairs is, and nancially, morally, and materially wasteful as ic is, neither the British Empire nor any other Power, as long as human nature and human beings continue as they are, dare do other than they are doing. It remains true that the only present way to Becure peace is to be strong, that the nation that can insist on peace is the nation that is ready for war, and that, to quote the great Nelson. " there is no better negotiator in the councils of Empire than a fleet of English line of battleships. If you are strong you may be practically certain that you will obtain your rights." The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in the course of a speech at Manchester on February 18 last, stated the relation and status of the navy to the Empire, and its bearing upon Imperial policy. He then said: " One thing which, no doubt, has its bearing on foreign policy and which is essential to us is the maintenance Of a sufficient margin of naval strength. On that we must be clear, and that is something at which no other nation can take offence. A mairfin of naval strength is essential to us, not for purposes of conquest, not for domination, but as a condition necessary to enable us to live on equal terms with other nations that have aims much greater than our own." In the terms of the German Navy Law of 1900, and its subsequent amendments, the naval programme of that Power calls for two new capital ships only this year. On the strenerth of this knowledge the First Lord of the Admiralty (then Mr M'Kennal in 1911 was able to foreshadow a probable reduction in the British Estimates, it being an article of Imperial naval policy to regulate its shipbuilding by that of other nations. But since that date much has happened. Germanv, in July, thought fit to send a warship to Agadir, in the far south of Morocco. France objected to this procedure, and England supported her. This incident, comparatively insignificant as it may appear to the casual observer, produced far-reaching, possibly permanent, changes in the attitude of the German Government and people to Great Britain. It would be idle to deny the existence of widespread suspicion of British motives and intentions among all classes in Germany, and these doubts and mistrusts have taken definite shape in the intention further to amend and extend the Navy Law. A bill has been introduced in the Reichstag providing for an additional £750,000 for the navy for the present year, and the building of an extra battleship every second year, beginning in 1913. What is meant by the command of the sea? The "question has been raised by the recent publication of two works—- " Naval Strategy." a series of lectures delivered by Captain Mahan, and " Some Principles of Maritime Strategy." by Ju'ian S. Corbett. In view of "the (to some) alarming fact that the British Admiralty js said, last summer, during a time of international tension, to have declined to guarantee " safe passage " across the channel for a British army of 150.000 men, and_ that an accurate understanding of what is meant by "command of the sea" is of primary importance to the people of this Dominion, it will not be out of place, briefly and imperfectly, to summarise Ihe opinions of competent writers and reviewers on this much-quoted and much-misapprehended doctrine. Mr Arnold White says: "One constantly hears such a phrase as. ' If England were to lose command of the sea it would be all over with her.'" Strictly speaking, England doe 3 not command the sea. Wo axe in the habit of saying she does, because we believe that in any probable oontest for such command she would prove victorious. If she did not the Empire would be gone. But

it is essential to remember that command of the so>a lias no meaning in time of l>eace. The sea i» open to all, its command ■s viral only in time of war, and that has to be fought for before it can be claimed. The naval correspondent of the London Times say? :—" It is precisely and soloiy its characteristics as an open highway over which the roads or lines of communication are made, almost at will, by each vessel as it passes that gives the sea its importance in naval war. . . . " Unless and until a belligerent can do and has occupied the enemy's lines of communication, and made it impossible for him to transport a military force across the seas, he has no command of the sea. This applied to both sides. Command of the sea oanoot be exercised by two belligerents at one and the same time. Either it is exercised by one or the other, as the case may be. or it is in dispute between tho two, which is by far the most common situation in actual warfare, especially at its outset. Thus command of the sea means and can mean nothing else, nothing more, and nothing less than complete and effective control of maritime communications. It follows that command of the soa in this sense —which is the only sense recognised by any competent authority and the only &er.ds in which the phrase ought ever to be used —cannot l>e secured and fully exercised at the outset of a war by either of two naval belligerents, each of whom deems himself strong enough io try conclusions with the other in tho open." In the light of this interpretation of "the command' of the sea," much is made plain that in its absence is apt to confuse. War is always possible—some go further and bay it is inevitable —but whenever and wherever the Empire is at war, then New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and South Africa axe also at war. There can bo no picking and choosing then, no hauling down of the flag, and no running up in its place of something that is called neutral. That would prove as impotent as it would bo unworthy. What, rather, is wanted is constant" vigilance and preparation. We have a world in arms, and' we have the greatest military Power, which is, at the same time, the second naval Power, directed by one of the abclst miens of his generation, demanding "a place in tho sun." There is absolutely no reason why Gernianv should not have it, and have it, too," by means of friendly and peaceable understandings and agreements. But the custodians of the Empire's integrity cannot and db.ro not take chances. T»..-.-.•' ■' '• • it"' 3 " t<> nice! • •"'■> •°"" 1 every probable contingency. Above all, uie ovc.ocu uo.i'Jmons vmi.cii star.u .o io« to much inu-51 take heed. Hays the Pall Mall Gazette:—" Failing absolute supremacy on the seu, we shall be unable to grapple with an emergency, however urgent, in a distant part of the world without weakening to a dangerous extent the Home fleet. It is for the statesmen of the dominions to give this matter the gravest consideration. The safely of the communication of the Empire is of as great concern to the oversea dominions as it is to us." , The Hon. Secretary reports that at tho beginning of the year the membership was 409, and at the close of the year it was 447 The main work of the league lies in the schools, and there the greater portion of its funds is expended. The years record shows a fully-paid school membership ot 1841. In view" of the many calls that arc made upon the schools, it may be claimed that this number speaks well for the steady and sympathetic support of the teachers and the" practical interest of the boys and girls in the league's work. The total revenue from all sources for the year ended March 31. 1912, was £441 5s 6d, as airai:ist £432 14s 9d for the previous year. The total expenditure was £424 8s 2d, compared with £415 14s Bd. The net cash balance on hand (excluding the deposit of £250 and interest, £39 lis 2d, with the X M and A. Co.) on March 31, 1911, was £2Ol 4s; on March 31, 1912, it was £2lB Is 4d. There are no outstanding accounts. Tne league presented to each school library where a branch i.s established (some 40 in all) a set of the following books:—Barnett's "lighting Admirals," Southey's "Nelson," Eardley Wilmot's " Nelson's Last Campaign," and " A History of the Navy from the Earliest Times." During the year Mr James Allen, M.P., and Mr W. C. MacGregor gave addresses on behalf of the league at the Waitaki Boys' High School. Mr F. Milner gave a lantern address to tho pupils of the Oamaru primary schools and general public. Slides were lent and used at Gore, Balclutha, Sawyers' Bay, Waitaki, and Mornington, and lantern lectures were given at the following schools and colleges by the secretary :—Outram, St. Clair, Moray Place, Walton, Arthur Street, Anderson's Bay, George Street,

Ravensbourne, Wakari, High Street, Forbury, Maori Hill. Kaikorai, Kensington, Musselburgh, Green Island, Macandrew Koad, Union Street, Morningtori, Leith Valley, North-East Valley, Mosgiel, Sawyers' Bay, Otago Girls' High School and Broemar* House, St. Hilda's and Girton College. Addresses were also delivered bv the secretary to the pupils at the following schools:—-Maori Hill, Musselburgh, Arthur Street, Anderson's Bay, Normal, George Street, Morav Place. St. Hilda's, St. Clair, Forbury, High Street, Braemar House. Mornington, Otago Girls' High, Caversham, Kaikorai, North-East Valley, and Sawyers' Bay. At the presentation of prizes to the pupils of secondary and primary schools in Deoembesr last, the branch was represented at many of the schools. Sixty-two schools—the highest number so far—competed in the essay examinations, the quality of the work in some cases being excellent, and the general average good. On the initiative of the Canterbury branch a Navy League Conference was held in Wellington on September 12 and 13. Mr James Allen, M.P., Mr T. K. Sidey, M.P., and Mr G. M. Thomson, MVP., the representatives of this branch. Arrangements are being made to continue the league's programme in the district schools and elsewhere during the current year. The membership of the ladies' branch of the league- is 34, and thinks are gratefully offered for their financial assistance and willingness to help when called upon. An appropriate wreath was purchased on their behalf by the Home Office and placed at the foot of the Nelson Monument in Trafalgar square, London, on Trafalgar Day. The branch commends to the attention of its members the following declaration of British naval policy made by the First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr Winston Churchill) on February 9 last, at Glasgow: " Whatever may happen abroad there will be no whining here, no signals of distress will be hoisted, no cries for help or succour will go uo. We will faoe that future as our anoestors would have faced it, without di-quict. without arrogance, but in stolid r~d inflexible determination. We should be ,he first Power to welcome any retardation or slackening of naval rivalry. Wo should meet any such slackening, not bv words, but by deeds. But, if there is to be an increase, if there arc to be increases upon the Continent of Europe, we shall have no difficulty in meeting them to the satisfaction of the country. As naval competition becomes more acute we shall have not onlv to increase the number of the ships we build, but the ratio which our naval strength will have to bear to other great naval Powers, so that our margin of superiority will become larger and not smaller as the strain grows greater. Thus wo shall make it clear that other naval rowers, instead of overtaking us by additional effort, will only be more outdistanced in consequence of the measures which we ourselves shall take. . . . Our existence depends on naval power. The whole fortunes of our race and Empire, all the treasure acoumulateel during so many centuries of Faerifico and achievement, would perish and be swept utterly away if our naval supremacy were to be endangered."