NAVY LEAGUE

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 230, 27 June 1944, Page 3

NAVY LEAGUE

Wellington Branch Hohls Annual Meeting At tiie 40th annual meeting of the Wellington branch of the Navy League last night, the mayor, Mr. Appleton, presided on the invitation of the president, Sir Charles Norwood. “Tiie answer to those who m regrettabli' years of false security did not lull.V appreciate the value of the league is found in the safety we today enjoy as the result of Allied sea and air supremacy in the I’ucific,” said Mr. Appleton. "Nor would we be able to watch today with high hope the promising start on the invasion front were it not lor the naval and air command winch the Allied forces —in particular, the British Navj —held in what is rightly called the English Channel. So great have been the developments in the aircraft-carrier an the range of military aircraft that another war must not find us unprepared —next time we will have no time to find our feet.” ~ The Minister of Defence, Mr. Jones, congratulated the league on the splendid work it had done in the last 40 years in Wellington. Baying a tribute to the valuable services rendered by tut W.R.N.S., he expressed regret that criticism was sometimes levelled at tne employment of women in the services. Mr. Jones also expressed the hope that in post-war years many of the New Zealand lads, who bad been trained as commissioned officers, would be given tne opportunity to make their regular career in the Royal New Zealand Navy.