TRAFALGAR DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3743, 8 December 1925, Page 55

TRAFALGAR DAY.

IN HONOUR OF NELSON,

FLORAL TRIBUTES AT TIIE MONUMENT. NEW ZEALAND WREATHS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, October 23. October 2J, the anniversary of Trafalgar Day, is the most Important day of the year for the Navy League. It is then that the league comes into direct touch with th* public. The thousands of people who file past the Nelson Monument from daylight to dark to inspect the beautiful wreaths laid at the foot of the great column cannot help realising that the league is an important force, not only In this community, but among all the scattered people of the Empire. That floral tributes to the traory of Nelson should come from so v.y scattered parts of the Empire is a reminder that, even if some people at Home are apt to f of get the importance of sea power, at all events those who live at the other end of the ocean routes are ever min:lful of the service on which they depend for their very existence. This year the Navy League printed a Nelson Pay Message, and everyone who passed the decorated column received a copy of the message: “If peace at sea warof inestimable value to our forefathers,’’ asked, “how shall it be assessed to- ( day?" Thirty million men, women, and children would starve if our merchant shipping from any cause—enemy action, industrial disturbance, or the violence of nature —ceased to enter our ports with bountiful supplies of food raised in other lands. These same ships must bring us, day by day, plentiful stores of cotton, wool, ore, and other raw materials, or at least half the population would be condemned to idleness. We are involved in a race against starvation because those cargoes from overseas have to be paid for. We endeavour to pay for them by means of our manufactured goods and our coal, but these do not suffice to balance the account. Hitherto we have made good the deficiency, amounting in recent years to between £300,000,000 or £400,000,000, by the vices Kliicli we render to international Uicde, carrying the ocean-borne commerce of other nations, financing their economic development, and engaging in world-wide operations in insurance, banking, an! merchanting. The cheapness of our food and raw materials, and the success with which we render these various services to the world depend upon our prestige, and that rests, in the last analysis, upon the sufficiency and efficiency of our sea power. “It is a peculiar source of satisfaction that the High Commissioners for New Zealand, Australia, Newfoundland, and India are associated with men of goodwill of the Motherland in the varied activities of the Navy League. It is engaged in an educational campaign by means of literature and illustrated lectures, involving it in heavy expenditure. So many millions of the population live in crowded towns and cities that they are apt to forget that, if the sea were closed to them and the heavily laden ships could not pass over the 80.000 miles of sea . routes of the Empire, they would be condemned to starve in impotent idleness.” NELSON’S CONUCENT London is more often than not plunged in fog on Trafalgar Day, or else the driving rain is a reminder that the winter has well begun. This 120th anniversary, however, was line, though grey, and the array of autumn flowers and foliage round the Nelson Monument were seen at their best. Unfortunately, the effect of Communism was evident even in connection with this demonstration of patriotism. Year after year the public has found a particular interest in the block of transparent ice that contained the wreath made of New native flowers and gent by the branch of the League. Wel/ington was represented by a humbler tribute this year. On a box covered with /preen baize was a vase containing yellow / and pink chrysanthemums and autumn leaves of the elm tree. A notice in front announced : “The ship carrying the usual ice nreath from this branch has been delayed owing to the strike.” South Africa was also sending a special Wreath, but this was delayed by the shipping strike. V Trafalgar Square is in the hands of the pairers, and partly fenced off from the public. Thus, instead of having four sides of the base available for decorations, there were only two. To allow for all the contributions, therefore, the wreaths were placed very closely together, and besides being against two faces of the base they were placed on the top of the plinth. On this higher position, facing south, were the tributes from the Governments of India, Australia, and New Zealand. Australia had the central position, with a wreath, 6ft in diameter, made of nalin leaves with large and porgeous pink chrysanthemums as a centre-piece. India’s tribute was a star formed of small yellow chrysanthemums c.t a solid base of white chrysanthemums, . with an outer circle of yellow. NEW ZEALAND WREATHS. New Zealand's official wreath was cerone of tho most beautiful in the whole display. Small white chrysanthemums formed the wreath itself, which was fully 6ft in height and mounted on an en«el. From the centre to a foot beyond the upper portion of the circumference were sprays of very large chrysanthemums of that variety which has petals which are bronze on the upper side and yellow on the lower side. Interspersed with these were ferns. The inscription read: “From tho Government and people of the Dominion of New Zealand to honour the glorious name of Nelson.” On the southern face of the base were the other New Zealand wreaths. Wanganui College branch contributed one of white chrysanthemums and white lilies. These were set off by a circlet of palm leaves, the whole display standing about Aft. high. Hawkes Bay branch had a circle of pink chrysanthemums on a base of box tree loaves and asparagus ferns. The inscription read: “Iney left us a kingdom none can take -the realm of the circling The Canterbury branch (Christchurch and Tornuka) was represented by a wreath five feet in height. It had a background of foliage surmounted with large white and bronze chrysanthemums. At the has© were a group of smaller bronze chrysanthemums set off with autumn-tinted oak leaves. In this section, too, were tributes

from Newfoundland, Canada, and numbers of English branches. The central piece was a laige crown of flowers draped with flags and sent by the Central Branch of the Navy League. H.M.S. DIOMEDE. On the southern face of the basement were the contributions from the various warships and naval barracks. One especially noted the wreath sent by the captain, officers, and ship’s company of H.M.S. Diomede, the new cruiser of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy. The wreath was composed of yellow chrysanthemums with a centre spray of wattle, yellow daisies, and ferns. Other warships represented were H.M.S.’s Frobisher, Malaya, Delhi, Dauntless, Resolution, Iron Duke, Repulse, Valiant, Danae, Cardiff, Agamemnon, Ramillies, and Revenge. The central piece on this face was a beautiful 6ft wreath from the officers and men of H.M.S. Hood. Officers in charge of Nelson’s old flagship,. Victory, also sent a wreath, as did all the naval barracks and several regiments of the line. As usual, the plinth was decorated with tall growing shrubs, and double ropes of laurel leaves hung from the base of the column to the breasts of the Landseer lions. Ac 11.30 a.m. a wreath was laid by the Marchioness of Linlithgow on Nelson’s tomb in the crypt of St. Paul’s Cathedral. COMMEMORATION AND THANKSGIVING. At noon a memorial service was held in the Church of St. Bartholomew the Great, which was attended by Lord and Lady Linlithgow, Sir Cyril S. Cobb, and a large number of other officials and members of the Navy League. The boys from the training ships Arethusa, Worcester, and Stork were also present. Every seat in the nave of this most ancient of London churches was occupied. Tho service was taken by the vicar of the parish and the Ven. Archdeacon R. M‘Kew, C.8.E., D.D. (chaplain of the Fleet), gave the address, basing hi 3 remarks on the text: ‘‘He being dead yet speaketh.” “We might,” he said, “not in any spirit of boastfulness, thank God for giving such a man as Nelson to our country in the hour of need, and pray that we may follow, even afar off, his noble example of selfsacrificing devotion.” The test of a great man was that though being dead, his memory was an encouragement to future generations. Nelson alive was England’s salvation, Nelson dead was England’s inspiration. To-day we wanted the Nelson spirit. Nelson’s spirit was one of unwavering devotion to duty. Duty was an obsession in his life. But his greatness was evident even in less heroic times than when he gained his great victories. The years of waiting and watching outside Toulon Harbour revealed to us more clearly the wonderful Nelson spirit. Duty was not a very popular word to-day. There was too much softness, -too much sloppiness, and far too little of the stern discipline of duty. Wo needed to bring into out country more of the Nelson spirit of duty. Nelson had a strong faith in himself, but he also had a strong, simple faith in God. He believed that the guiding power of God was on his side. After the address the hymn “Eternal Father, Strong to Save,” was sung, and the service concluded with the National Anthem. NEW ZEALAND’S NEW CRUISER. It was very appropriate that H.M.S. Diomede should be commissioned for service in the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy on Trafalgar Day and the New Zealand flag run up to the masthead. Sir James Allen sent the following telegram to Captain J. S. M. Ritchie:— “On this Trafalgar Day I have pleasure in conveying on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand all good wishes to tfie officers, petty officers, and men of H.M.S. Diomede on the occasion of her commission for service in the New Zealand Division.” Captain Ritchie replied from the Diomede, which at present lies as Portsmouth: “Have commissioned H.M.S. Diomede today for service in the New Zealand Diviion. Officers, petty officers, and all ratings of H.M.S. Diomede thank you for your good wishes on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand.” All the officers of New Zealand's new cruiser are at work on the ship and the Admiralty expects that she will be able to sail for the Dominion about November 14. This, however, is by no means definite. NAVY LEAGUE DINNER. Admiral of the Fleet Earl Jellicoe was to have proj>osed the toast “To the Glorious and Immortal Memory of Nelson and His Comrades” at the Navy League dinner in the evening, but, unfortunately, he was prevented from 'being present owing to the sudden and unexpected illness of his daughter, Lady Gwendoline. The Marquis of Linlithgow (president) said they were all more than sorry to learn that Lord Jellicoe could not be present, but even more sorry to learn the cause of his absence. His daughter had had to undergo a sudden and serious operation. Lord Linlithgow proposed, with the assent of the gathering, to write to Lord Jellicoe convoying to him not only their regrets at his enforced absence, but their sincere wishes for the speedy recovery of his daughter. There was a good attendance of members and visitors at the dinner, which was held in the Trocadero. Among New Zealanders present were Mr A. F. Roberts, Mr R. S. Black, Miss A. L. Rees, Mrs Hugh Beetham, Mrs W. 11. Cruickshank, and Mrs Bethell, A tablecloth which had beeen used in Lord Nelson’s cabin in the Victory vas placed in neat folds before the chairman, the Marquis of Linlithgow, and on the wall behind his seat was a portrait of Lord Nelson backed by the Union Jack. Signal flags were also displayed denoting the memorable message: “England expects that every man this day will do his duty.” In the absence of Lord Jellicoe, Rearadmiral T. P. H. Beamish, M.P., proposed the toast of the evening. He said that the character of Lord Nelson merited the deepest study, and if sailors could mould themselves to that character so as even partially to imitate Lord Nelson the safety of the British Empire was secured for years to come. Nelson so disciplined himself that he was ablo to suffer under not altogether efficient commanders-in-chief. Once ho sent a very fine turbot caught off the Dogger Bank to his commander-in-chief, and that senior officer sensibly thawed towards him. “I see nothing,” he said, referring to the present situation, “in the nature of tho certainty of perpetual peace. Those who fancy tne millennium is about to arrive forget that human progress is equally as slow as mere physical progress. The duty

of this generation is to keep secure Britain’s keystone of naval supremacy.” A MESSAGE FROM NEW ZEALAND. Lord Linlithgow, proposing “The Visitors,’’ said that members of the Navy League had the right to expect that those who shared their view that the sea heritage of this country was our most precious possession would come forward and help to bear the heat and burden of the day and see that due provision was made for future necessities. A country which had adopted a system of government by consent would sooner or later depend for adequate and timely supplies and trained men on informed public opinion. , Among those who replied to the visitors toast was Mr R. S. Black. As a New Zealander, he wished to express his regret that Lord Jellicoe, who had been the Dominion’s much-loved Governor-General, was not there that night. He asked the president “to tell Lord Jellicoe how much New Zealanders appreciated all he has done for us and how we hope we shall soon nave better news than we have to-night.