The Navy and London.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 11997, 4 September 1909, Page 2 (Supplement)

The Navy and London.

•m' , T \ "OFFICERS' DA\.' July 22nd, was kuonn to | Lundoneis as "Otticcis' i>a.\," when Admiral Sir 'William Ma>, Com-mandcr-iu-Chiei ot the Home ' I'leet, and 50U ot tliosc niviL whom, over the luncheon table, he called attcctiouatel> "comrades and brother officers," w«>ie entertained by the l<ord Major and the Coiporatiou ot tho City oi LonJun at tlTe Guildhall. ""'l'liese 000 vfliccrs of the Floet Jid not match to the Guildhall. They came swooping up in 0 , tour inside, and rattling up in hansoms, three to a small seat, or stepping out, two by two, and otcen arm in aim, from Liverpool-street Station Laige numbers ol .people had gathered on the luotwajs, and all of ihom wtie inIntel by the gaiety ot, these nai il men who came bowling along with the huvzj air oi being out -on the spice It was teally good fun at the station, 'nun as the tram stopped thtre was stampede' for the taxi-calls, and regal dloss ot seniority pt rank, and with* the gumal e>es oi their Admiial upoii them, joiiug lieutenants and sub-hcu-tenants did a sprint down the platform and boarded " taxies" m great st\le, leaving tlu>ir seniors to the "growl-* crs.**

All the oftuois iiPir in inddois kit, without epaulettes, bolts or .sWords. 1 - Hut ,n their blur irock-coats with gold buttons and " aiguillettes." 'and the gwhl < ufl-bands "Inch diotmguisked' then rank, ' they looked smart and trim, and gallant. Many oi those who walked earned stout sticks," with which "they pounded the pavement, and others who were to sjieud the night in town gripped hold ol their and hand-bags,' and refused all oiiers. of assr-taiiee. They swai tued into Iho Guildhall like a lot ut schoolboys holding up' a tuck-shop Old comrades slapped each cither on tin* bark, with a "Hulloh, Dick old man"' or " Feeling hi old bird*'' It was- a rendezvous of men who, although they belong to the same Fleet, do not often' meet' at the same im'ss. " There are hundreds of follows. I know heic-,'" said on- llag-lietttenant with a ' handsome hatchet lace, beautifully bronzed, "and "pon my soul, I haven't seen some 'em i -iiiec the old Britannia days." The sciaps of conversation whMn one overhranl in tlv "scrum." oil thci ■-May to the Guildhall Library' were entertaining and where are von now , "Ai'dtcws s I had lost Mght of you " ' r Ou the Superb, inv Iki\. I'pvilish glad to see you again*' "Well, \ou'Ae "ot aMg enough ship, haven't jou. J " "Oh, , she'-, not a nipper." t-ionie of the heart mess, of the ri •- vil oltutis was, toned down for a, little while b\ flic solemn dignity of <«i" c'Mhall and of (he gentlemen »l the C'oiporation, 'who had on their officul lolvs and manners, v and who' wandered around with long 'w-ands like billiard cues, as if they Mere Jookin'n for tabled on which to pi in » quiet game oIF "snooker." What .tlw'v ieall\ did afterwards, naj) to persuade I these navil genllemen to take their I I urn to be presented to the Lord Major and Lady Mayoress, who were 1 in state at the far end ol the library 1 hall, on each side of wihieh sat "City 1 Aldermen in their robes' There was | an accustomed hesitation among some' |"I the "vouimei officers in " talking I the ejuarter-deck " as they called 1 it. i "Good Lord' Have 1 gdt to face that " said one joung "sub-lieutenant I with the face of \i cherub. England [ expected every other, man to do Ins '„<Juty, and the \oung lieutenants nudi ged their elbows into the nhs ol their I messmates and said. "Go on, young r un, and get it over." ' ' 1 This was only at the beginning bf Llnngs , They pulled their shouldeis back, set their cuffs right, and, with the grim an ot facing the / tulerny, paced the long length ot the hall while' the ushers proclaimed their names m mch loud \oiees that it brought lilushcs to the cheeks of some ot the Hiuors But they got used to it, and alter the first score had shaken ' hands with the <Lord Major and bowed to the Lady Mayoress, going a little weak at the knees, because thc,\ wtie • oiiseious oi many exes upon them, tins |iotheis hied loiward, one nft-r anoJvi, I walking at a smalt puce, aiuL V'P i < Inns well loiward, and with a ' geti lUncr-quirk " soil ot air At the I end ol the piccvssion, welcomed I", ho.iity eh'eis, i.ime A'dmnal M .», \itc-Admnal JVmce Loun ot Batteu-Niee-Ailnuial hu Bcikelcy Milne and the He.'i-Admnals ol the Fleet. To those who watched Jipin, the gal-l-i j< . it was a lev tew ot the me,n, behind. th> machines in 'he Btilisb NaW, ct the men who in loul weather an I lau |i, m < the Fleet in their keeping, and upon whom in time of wai lest the hoiioui and tli" *cuml> «>r Hie* nation and the Empire. With thai Ihnujrht in one's mind one ,-lMvd down at these men with keen mtiy est These 3'JO na\al otfiteis looked, for the most pait, vei\ young foi their, job. But the type and the cxpicssiou is always the same. It is Lhc o\pr«ssion," perhaps, oi men who have simple haarts, and a merry sense of Jiujuom. who ha>e kept then ,boyhood longer than, most ol us, and yet who face terrific responsibilities, peiul not seldom and duty always, with courage, with eheeifulness, and wrtll coil-,, rfiduitsi

Such was., tlmdjpe ofv men 1 who safe down 500 strong* under the ttiuhpri't root of the Guildhall, ,uhere)thu light of day sticnnicq through btained-giuss windows upon tllpiiij tlip *hig* of the Knipnc hung aiound them, «uid wbuc, lining llli'ir Admiral, was uu ttllcgoneal uiotitkliiciit ot tho City, juappiopitatcl) Kjmhofised as a beautiful white ladjj hiachhmg upon, the .rollcall ot Lame the tit tones of England's greatest seaman, Horatio NelitpV. 'lh© Lord ALnof pi London was happy m Ins speech tthr-u he alluded vto .tbot monument t>rtd lb the deathless, spirit of Xplaoi), \lm.ii,- still inspires those men who are lijs successors in dury and command/ jl>'