NAVY LEAGUE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXI, Issue 9854, 6 November 1924, Page 2

NAVY LEAGUE

GIFT TO LOUD JELLICOE

f MPOUTAN'CE OF THE NAVY

PEOPLE MUST BE EDUCATED

At Christchurch, Lord Jel.ieoe was the recipient of a portfolio of paintings and an address by the branches of the Navy League. . In reply, he said it was difficult to speak in terms other than those of the highest appreciation of the work of the League. Its charitable work on behalf of the widows and orphans v/as a thing which no British sailor would ever forget, nor would her Excellency, for she had been associated with those who had received the League’s war-time gifts, lhe strong tie which existed between England and New Zealand was cue to the similarity in the configuration or the two countries. The aims or tne League here were the same as its aims all over the Empire and there never was a time when its work v. as more needed. Jt was an invariable experience that , after every great war the sea defences were cut down. It was so after the Napoleonic war, and interest in the Navy ban not revived till the ’Bo’s. Much of that revival was due to Mr Stead s ai ticles “The Truth about the Navy, and to the activities of the late Loixi Fisher. It was the fashion since the war to blame the people who were m the Admiralty before the war for the shortcomings revealed in the mg struggle. It might interest members of the Navy League to hear wlum the procedure was in regard to, the Navy Estimates, which, he added, were invariably cut down before being adopted. 'The naval officers saw what thev wanted, and then Cabinet said what it would grant. Jr the grant were sufficient, the officcis accepted it. If it were net, discussions ensued which sometimes resulted in the resignations of the naval officers being “made available.’ it the officers were of sufficient nnpoitancc their threatened resignations often had the effect of winning, the day, but if they were not, their resiffr.ations were accepted, and tne\ were replaced. In his experience on the Admiralty Board, and he hart served on successive Boards, only twice had resignations been sent in. One was the occasion in 1909 when s*x Dreadnoughts were asked 101 ■ The threat of' resignation had result- ; cd not only the six, but e ght- vessels being approved. It was Ins clut\ ou that occasion, as Naval Controller, to go before Cabinet and state the claims. Another occasion was when the estimates included an increased standard for oil-fuel reserves, lhe standard was below what the office-s considered safe, and they eventual..V gained their point. The necessity for that action was shown .111 Ip l S’ when, at one stage, the Navy lmu on'v sufficient oil for three wee.es' sup'nlv, and it fell to him to give orders "that the Fleet should proceed at half-speed. Every year something in the Estimates had to he sacrificed. Of late years dock improvements had been sacrificed. The Libcn! Government which was xn power from' 1906 to 1914, suspended work on the Forsyth dockyards base, and that had put the Navy at a d.sadvantage during the war. In his opinion, continued Lord Jel-lic-oe, the first work of the League was to educate the people up to the importance of the Navy, so that the children of to-day, when they filled high positions in after-life, might he able to judge the importance of the reasonable requests made of the vernment of the time by the Naxj advisers. There was a point at v.h.cli the Navy League should stop, however. 111 pre-war days, a Maritime League was formed in England by those who had seceded from the Navv League owing to dissatisfaction because that body d.d not go far enough. The Maritime League had interfered w.th the internal discipline of the Navy, and had made itself very unpopular at the Admiralty Sflice. Ir the League impressed upon the people the impoitance lit sea. defence, and did wliat chantable work it cared to undertake, then it was doing a great work for the British Emp.re. The ehaiiman had spoken of a policy matter, said Lord Jeliicoe, referral g to the suggestion regarding sea cadets. “That being a quest.oll of policy, my l.ps are sealed, but if you care'to ask my opinion 011 November 26th 1 will give it to you.” lie said “The chairman referred to the future, and mentioned tlie poss.bility of my acceptance of the Gover-nor-Generalship of another Dom 11ion. I shall tell you members of the Navy League, as I shall teH the people of New Zealand, that there is no other Govornor-Generalsh.p in the Empire than that of New Zealand which I would accept. (Loud applause.) 1 will no anything in the future for the Empire in the direction of deeds, but the fewer words I have to say after leaving New Zealand the happier I shall he. (Laughter.) “It only remains for mo to reiterate our deep thanks for the honor you have done us. and express our verv deep regrets at leaving those shores. Nothing but necessity takes us away. As you kunw., the Government was good enough to ask me to extend mv term, and I would have done so if'it had been at all possible. T. can imagine 110 greater honor for any man iii the Empire than to hold the post of Governor-General of New Zealand. Mv successor, when in Hjs turn comes to the time to say goodbye, will do so, I am sure, with a feeling similar to mine, of deep ie-o-ret at laying down the reins of office, and will wish yen, ns I wish you’ health, happiness and , very great prosperity in the future.”