SAVING THE VICTORY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3619, 24 July 1923, Page 29

SAVING THE VICTORY.

MANSION HOUSE MEETING. CHILDREN’S PENNIES. LONDON, May 18. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor who presented £50.000 towards the Victory Fund the work of repairing the famous old flagship is to l>e commenced on June 1. At the request of the First Lord of the Admiralty the- Lord Mayor of London has taken over the fund, and it is expected under these auspices the £150,000 which is needed should be in sight within reasonable time. At least this was the view expressed by speakers at a. meeting at the Mansion House this week. The Lord Mayor, who piesided, said that one of the donations which had specially pleased him came from an American visitor who said in an accompanying letter: ‘‘The old ship stands as a symbol, not of British might on the sea, but of the spirit of civilisation, of burdens undertaken for the s.ike of world peace, for the destruction of tyranny and the freedom of mankind. ’ Mr L. S. Emery (First Lord of the Admiralty) was the principal speaker. The Victory embodied, he said, in a unique way the ereat traditions of the British Navy. She was not the first of her name. 'The first was a vessel named Christopher, bought by Queen Elizabeth for the navy and re-named the Victory. The present Victory, the fifth of her name, was laid down at Chatham during 1759, a wonderful year of victories all round the world. It was the rear when Wolfe gained victory at, Quebec, and Chatham bv his indomitable spirit, won a greater victory and laid the foundations of Ihe first British Empire. Tile victory bore the- flags of Howe, Jervis, Eeppel. and Kempenfelt. She was present. at the relief of Gibraltar, and at the great victory at Cape Vincent. Finally, she became Nelson’s own flagship, and was made famous once and for all by his victory and by his death, by his last, prayer and by his signal. Since then she had remained on the active list of the navy and had carried the flag of all the distinguished naval chiefs at Portsmouth. He trusted she would long remain the flagship of that great command. SPIRIT OF LORD NELSON. More than a year ago the Admiralty were faced with the very serious danger that the Victory might sink at her moorings. She vvas taken to the historical

.Dock No. 2, which was completed about the same time as Trafalgar. There she was stored up and the work necessary to prevent imminent disaster was done. The task of repairing her. not truly rf replacing the detective timbers, but of re; i. her h: (he very way she was at Trfulgai, involved £163 050, which tie Admiralty at this time could not spend without reiiois prejudice to the immediate and urgent needs of the navy of to-day. '1 hoy fe.t that it would not have been i:i I.or! Nelson’s own spit it to sacrifice the navy of to-day even to restate his own fl tgsitip. and it was fer this reason that they had issued this appeal io nil patriotic citizens of the Empire and to levers ol British freedom throughout the world, to contribute voluntarily so as to make possible tie task of restoroton. Io the Adrnralty would fall the responsibility of maintenance when the repairing hud been accomplished, and they imped (hat she would long remain the flagship of (he Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth. M ork would be commenced on her on the first day of June, and besides others things it vvould help to relieve some of the unemployment which shipyards were suffering. But those who contributed would above all be helping to preserve the vessel which had been called the Cathedral of British Naval Traditions —that tradition which in itself was a unique feature in the life of our country and whose maintenance was essential to our safety us a nation and as an Empire in the future. £65 IN PENNIES. Admiral of the Fleet, Sir F. C. Doveton Sturdee said that of the £ISO,GCO required £58,533 had been collected since October. Expenses had amounted to If per cent, of the sum, but as the money was bringing in interest they hoped wipe out. that 1| per cent. A picture of the old ship pointed by a young lieutenant had been put up for auction and had brought £IOOO. Children were selling cards giving the record of me Victory for a penny, and from one town in the Midlands they had received £65 collected in pennies in this way. This work among the children was most important. What greater memorial could they have than this ship, which had saved the country from invasion on four occasions, that had saved Gibraltar from being captured, and throughout had helped to maintain our safety ;n trade? The object of the appeal was to save the ship and to encourage (he young in realising the great ideals of their forefathers, and personally he attached more value to the latter office than to the former. The Victory, as the name of a snip, had been an emblem of our sea power for over 360 years. Lord Bearsted also spoke on behalf of the fund.