THE NAVY AND PEACE

Hokitika Guardian, 2 August 1929, Page 8

THE NAVY AND PEACE

LETTER FROM ADMIRAL JELLICOE. 111 a. letter to Mr Darroch, Navy League Conference secretary in New Zealand, Admiral of the Fleet Earl Jellicoe wrote as follows: ‘•'lt was a great pleasure to receive a letter from you, both as secretary of the Navy League, for which you have done such valuable work,, and asyourself. ; I rather fear, from whayou say, that you are finding it diffito keep the Navy League flag flying and vet. 1 find it almost impossible to believe that New will ever be luke-warm in her efforts to maintain in safety the sea communications of the Empire. For, apart from her own interests, in that safety lies the future both of the Mother Country and of all her children. “I realise, of course, that the various organisations that exist to render future wars impossible, have done much in this respect, and I (like all those who have experienced the horrors and ill-effects of war) earnestly hope that we shall never again be drawn into war; but I do feel most strongly that this hope should not blind us'to the fact that safety at sea is of such vital importance to the Empire 'that we cannot, under any conditions, take the risk of weakening our .Navy below a certain limit. “And that limit lias most decidedly been reached now. “However desirable disarmament may bo (and is), we, of all nations in the ,workl, cannot disarm at sea so long as there is the very slightest risk of any threat to our sea communications. I am never likely to forget the first six months of the year 1917, when the very existence of the Empire , was in the greatest danger, in the post which I occupied during that period, the responsibility for ensuring the safety of our ships bringing food and supplies to Great Britain lay primarily on my shoulders, and no one knows better than myself the gravity of the danger which surrounded us. Of course, we hope that such a crisis may never again arise, but the chances of its not: arising will be infinitely less if we are in some measure prepared to meet it.

The motto of the gunnery school at Portsmouth. ‘Si vis paeem para helium,’ is a motto which pacifists Often ridicule, and, indeed, suggest that preparation for war brings war. I refuse to believe tliat altogether if they apply that argument to a purely defensive force such as the British Navy. For it is essentially defensive. And we have the high authority of President Hoover to support an argument. Did he not say, in nis inaugural address, that he felt a strong Uiiited States Navy would tend to ensure peace ? Therefore, I do hope most sincerely that the Navy Ledgue in New Zealand will continue its great efforts to keep before the people of the Dominion the absolute necessity for,the safety of our sea communications, and the undoubted fact that the British Empire is the one Empire which, because of its absolute dependence for existence and prosperity on the security of those communications, cannot afford to lead the waV in naval disarmament. >Ve have most certainly done all that is compatible with our safety in that direction already. Let others follow Tielore we run further risks.”