THE LAST DAYS OF OLD ENGLAND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 27 January 1909, Page 1

THE LAST DAYS OF OLD ENGLAND.

THE BRITISH MARITIME LEA. GUE AND OLD ENGLAND. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, Dec. 11. The dark days of the South African war will be as nothing to the disasters in store for Englishmen if the forebodings of the imperial Maritime League are fulfilled or even partly fulfilled. The purpose ar.d objects of this leagjue are to secure that tha primary, object o£ the national policyshall be to win and hold command of the sea; the maintenance of a navy in every respect equal to the two-Power standard, and fulfilling tho additional needs of the'Empire in regard to cruisers;'and, further, the 'maintenance of such Navy in' indubitably efficient state. The Leaouef 3 aTe now in deadly earnest in -believing that there will shortly be a' German invasion of this country, •that we are defenceless against it, and Chit' the'coiuhies are waiting for tha opportunity to forsake and secure thenindependence. '„ Last week a large and » influential '.; meeting . was held in Norwood to .arrailge for a public meeting, "fo protest against the continued re-, duction. of . 'national expenditure by tha present Goyernfhe'nt, and the resulting danger in wbicKthe country is now placed." Tfie'Cnairman said the purpose, of the .League was ; to wake up tho •couhfcry to its! position, for thev did not intend, .that ..it. should be fooled away without-, a^ciance.'. He alluded to the fact." that rteototly' lso members of the 'Houae'of. Commons sighed. a petition to still f urtKer' : rediice the Navy. Their army whs gone^-there was now no army-^aAd the' na% was disturbed. The preterit! -'situation was nothing less thatt'-appalling.' One of the principal spealqersy'.*:.Mr, Wyatt, spoke of tha -great-.support coming in from all parts qf the work of . the League. If tha nation wai aroused there might be hope for it yet, ahd they might still be able .to hand .down tbe inheritance , tljey/ hid; received:; ; The first danger .be.-jiad. an" view was the deficiency of JZZQ^jMldn" the. Budget, and which he feared .would still further causa the '(^Vernraent". to. . reduce the Navy. Even the increase of the National Debt would be' fcßltSrj'thah a German invasion' of^£»nddfe : The' two great pornts for conSidetetKtn'"_were (1) the present safety VoJ. Hho 'country and (2) future constJTlctiojj.-'v; Speaking of the danger of ' iavasioff-b^ Germany, it was a question whether tKe-' country waa safe for. "this"winie'r,-")ttbt"to say next summer. All they, .^ad^tp rely- npon in this re-spect\ra-s.'tH« possibility that Germany might not;, attack, them. Lord Kob<Jrts. h^d'^iyen' 'a solemn warning to ? the cotyjtjjy. - 'There was the greatest possible, jtilk of'' 6 German attack, and, if made, 'there was no doubt of its success. • ,-He -deecriD'ed the military arrangements. of • this country as those of.cprniiß.opera. Their army had been stnppedVofite' 'horses. What was the duty of. Englishmen and women? It could -nbt-'be (only to lament the situation; do something. Their aim. shbifld' be 'co-operation, to put tho facts atfdrthe. danger before the country. TJie League asked for an inquiry into the condition of the navy. He emphasised the danger that would Tesult- from a further reduction in the Navy owing to the deficiencies of the Bmlget. ' Many speakers testified to the fact that in Germany hatred to the British was taught and encouraged in the' schools. Everything po&ybla was -done, they said, to depreciate tha British,- and that this was but the preliminary- to 3 life jand death struggle* between tha" two nations could not ba for one moment "doubted, espeeinliy when the questions cf increasing armaments by th? Germans came "to be taken into .consideration. Ultimately r it- was decided ? to hold a paSlic meeting in that "district as toon as possible. 'A proposition to form a women's branch' of the League was ako carried unanimously.