MASTERY OF THE SEA

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1927, Page 4

MASTERY OF THE SEA

rycoxornt:AtiLt-: spirit. LONDON, l-'eh. 10. The Prime Minister was the guest, ol honour at the jubilee year banquet of the ( handier of Shipping of the United Kingdom in the Hotel Victoria, London. last night. Replying to the toast of ‘‘His Majesty’s Government,’’ proposed by Mr A. Shaw, president-designate of ttie Chamber. Air Baldwin said he could not help being struck with the motto on the outside of the Chamber’s programme, and lie would render it into English rather freely: “The safety ol this realm lies in the mastery ol the seas.” fie added; “I would use that word mastery in two senses the mastery that intends that men that go to sea in pursuit of a living shall do so without lour; and consequently the mastery of the seas by the English steamer. • "With the memory of the Great AVer fresh in our minds, many ol us cannot have tailed to ask ourselves whence has come that mastery ol the seas to which our very presence pays tribute Y’ Air Baldwin went cu to show how it had developed I rein the days ol the Noresmon with their long boats with high hows and single sails, down to the Elizabethan age. After that the fame of this country on the sea was held by the Royal Navy. (Applause) . Great-as 'were the sailors ot the Royal Navy during the 17th, 1 Sill. and l!)h centuries great as were the Vikings great* as wane 1 the Elizabethans, there has been nothing in our past ages more calculated to stir the blood of future generations, than what happened on the setts < t the world lrmu ] <’l-1 to ]<J 18. (Loud and prolonged applause). Arid the Alorelmnt Service was akin to the Klizabet ban sailors. The Merchant Service in those war days was full of Sir Richard Grenvilles and tliev were found in every class. HEROIC AIERCII AN’l AIKN. Heroic deeds of merchant officers and seamen in armed liners and mystery ships were described by the Premier. who added that when they icliieinbered that these men were generally without military training and their opponents were 1 invariably more beatify armed than they, what a land of courage they could see was manilest eil, of that spirit that we showed of old. Net only those sailors hut the iishermen of the eounlrv who went. o"t mine swooning and the quiet., wonderful heroism of the merchant, sailers who returned time after time alto) they had been torpedoed recall-el this old spirit. “Such heroism as this we lanesmen, went on. Air Baldwin, and p.utieularly may 1 sav'like myself an inland man makes us Icel prouder than ever of all -..-hose that go clown to the sea in ships. 1 think that no firmer hope of the future of this ennnirv and of the confidence to which she might look to emerging from all her difficulties—social, industrial and commercial—ran he found than in this, that we have with us a leaven of men of such qualities.’