NAVY LEAGUE POLICY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 587, 16 August 1909, Page 6

NAVY LEAGUE POLICY.

' A LETTER AND AN ANSWER.

following circular letter from Major Hobday, president of the Canterbury Branch of the Natty League, was under consideration at-the recent meeting of, the Wellington executive,of the league: — ' ■' "Anticipating that,-as a result of the decisions, or recommendations .which may be arrived: at by, the Imperial Conference in July : August, the Navy League branches in New. Zealand may be called upon to give a - public 'expression ' of approval or dissent as the csase maybe, I venture to submit the ; visibility ■ of. the same coming , into 'line on' ; this matter/and so giving:full effect to any ■ opinions. I anticipate that the'conference: will ! approve' of New Zealand furnishing cruisers to the imperial Fleet, in which case an apprQ?aJ "wflpld be given, as also any homo defence scheme embodying -compulsory training, but no territorial vo)un.tary defence system would be approved.,,,.., .>..' ■:..,:- .'f'iVsolicit-your/. rjewp;?; '* no/iibin. :•'' ■ ■ "'; (Signed) , 'H. iiOßpAyi'Prcsidfent. , ;'-; the reply Weir " '' . ;; : ,-'..- -:,. -'•'■. letter /regarding .the above was recently laid before the loc.nl es&uiiva of the. league, and' ycur, puggajtipu that tiie Ns>vy leagjje branchesiin Ne>v. Zeg-.. land should move, in line, was-fully/appre?, • Qiatfd; It', thought, however, '.that wo siiQuld hardly be justified in criticising',&ny, decision that' may be arrived at by the co\i; fereuce, as the latter will probably-have >t disposal.information, of a'speoial Rud' ;pon< I fidfintial charaoter. The vjew of the league ' in: Wellington is that we : must confine ourselves largely to an educative policy as; to ! the far-reaching effects of sea-power, and the oUsa'strous' results-certain to follow the loss of British naval supremacy, and endeavour to impress upon the. public niind that a disaster to the Empire is a disaster to ourselves individually arid collectively, and that the Empire as'a whole is most effectively and ;'most Inexpensively defended by one. all-ppwer-ful Navy-'-unilev one control, by which tho ships may be placed, from time to! time, , where they"are likely' to be of the niost efleotiye service.- . ■■■ '.; .-■..'■'■■:■ . , :.- . ,-," ','1 am, dear sir, .'■' ,■ ■/■,■• '.: . ;'". ", "Yoijrs respectfully, ' ~' ." v '(Signed) "CEQILW. PALMER,, '': : ]■■ ■ . ' i':', , ".; ', ■ ' -''■ Hon. Secretary."