NAVY LEAGUE GATHERING

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 247, 13 July 1920, Page 6

NAVY LEAGUE GATHERING

FIRST QUARTERLY SOCIAL. Judging from last night's gathering (the first of its kind), the meetings which the Navy League has planned to hold every quarter, for the purposo of stimulating interest in the Navy and the Mercantile Marine, promise. to be a great success. St. Peter's Schcolroom, in which' it was held, was quite filled, and the programme arranged for the entertainment of those present appeared lo ho thoroughly enjoyed. The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke, C.M.G., M.P.) presided, and associated with him upon the platform were Mr. Roberts and Captain Chudley (the convener of. these gatherings). In his opening remarks the Mayor said that so long a 9 there was one nation that did not become a member of the League of Nations there' v.ns danger to the world's peace, and that danger had to be reckoned ,with. New Zealand was very fortunate in having I.ord Jellicoe for its Governor-General, and so far as the Navy was concerned this country would always do its duty. Pleasure at the presence of repyeseatntives of the Returned Soldiers' Association was expressed, and the Mayor further stated that no gathering concerned with naval, military, or, indeed, civio matters was complete without tho presence of the returned men. NavaP. representatives were also heartily welcomed. An apology had been received from thoMerchant Service Guild and from one or two leading citizens, who had fennd themselves unable to be present. Mr. Roberts, who had been asked to becomo spokesman for Mr/ R. Darroch, read for the latter a paper entitlod "The Red Ensign," prefacing his reading by the statement that the educative part of their programme at these quarterly gatherings was to bo strictly limited to ten minutes As they all know, the Red Ensign was the emblem of the Merchant Service, and the writer emphasised the magnificent work done during the war by that servicj). The old idea that naval war power was expressible by warships alone and nil that belonged to them had been exploded by the merchant service. The struggle became one of «ea-carrying endurance, and in tho face of every danger and death-dealing devices that the enemy could compasß, the merchant service carried men, food, and munitions of war wherever they were wanted. From America alone during a period of greatest stress the ships of the merchant service carried 200,000 men across the Atlantic every month. It was the mercantile marine that settled thto subraarino horror, but owing to the censorship much remained untold of its work. Tho war lords in Berlin never dreamt that seamen who had been on torpedoed ships once, and more than oiice, would again faco such dangers, but they did, and tho plans of tho war lords were completely checked. The writer concluded by pointing out tli/e necessity of making seafaring life attractive to boys, for loss of supremacy in hor merchant service would lose Great Britain her place in the world, as wo know it to-day After Tcading Mr. Darroch's paper, Mr. Roberts, who was in charge of the' transport services during the War, spoke of the work of New Zealand seafaring men, who were employed on New Zealand transports, None of them ever refused to man any of these ships because they had to pass through the danger zone. If they ever' refused, it was because of sonio personal reason, lack of love for some of the people on bonrd, or some such thing. One vessel might wait in vain for men to work her, and for the next boat to como in there would be a queue of 15 to 20 men waiting to sign on. Men on comfortable coastal boats had nqi hesitated to take np work on boats that would pass and rfcpass through the danger zone. Their courage wag never found wanting. An enjoyable musical programmo was given, the contributors being Miss Clmtwin and Mr. Goudie, wlip snug a duet; Miss Bullot, a recitation; Commander Keily and Messrs. Moore and Goudie, songs. Every item was encored. Supper (the arrangements for which were in charge of Mesdamcs Galvin, Bayfield, and AY. Luke) was handed around, and the floor was afterwards cleared for dancing. ____________'