PRESENTATION OF FLAG.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1919, Page 8

PRESENTATION OF FLAG.

> tQ BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL.

' On Thursday morning Captain Andrews itf the Karamea,. accompanied by Mr. T. L. McLean (of London) and Mr. Irving {Wellington), visited the New Plymouth •toys' High School and presented iiie Nsooi with, a red ensign; •I The function took place in the assembly hall, which was filled with scholars.

The Principal (Mr. VL H. Moves)/in Utroduciiuj! the captain, said that some 'Tears ago there was a branch of the \Navy League at the school, but owing to the fir?; and the consequent removal to the racecourse buildings, also to the war,"the branch became defunct, but he hopeif that* it would now be revived oil * stronger basis than ever. Captain An-' drewst. he mentioned, was one of those who had done his share on the sea hj) helpingßritain 'to 'defeat the enemy. : CtotoOJL-Andrews^,, in the course of a oriSely and interesting speech, any credit for; what had ii"^-been done in the war. . He had been in the danger zone off and on (iMrJmJt'two and a half years as (ARtftUi. of a. merchant ship. His work had been confined to the carrying of grain'"'and frozen neat. He had not been-torpedoed, he had not even seen ail enemy submarine; the most he had done, was to rescue the crew of a torpedoed vessel. He called attention to the gteaiTpart taken by the British Navy In deflating the Germans, how it had circunrtentfed- their nefarious plans on all occasions, how the 'longshoremen"— ;she men of the small craft and fishing boats—had responded to the call, and swept ttie'sea routes clear of the deadly t mine* which the' Germans vainly thought would bring about the downfall of the British Navy. The work the, Navy had done during the war was tremendous. . Consider the thousands of troops that-bad been safely carried over the geas. He thought he was right in saying that not one single soldier out of all the men who had left New Zealand, ifor instance, had' lost his life through direct enemy action. (Applause.) Then thanks to the navy they had been able to 'keep all their trade routes open during the period of the war. This was a most difficult task, he could assure them, for there were thousands and thousands of square miles of sea, and when one raider got adrift then it was like looking for a needle in a stack ■of hay to locate it. The navy, however, had succeeded in keeping the trade routes open. The navy had always been the strong right arm of Britain, and at no time more so than in the late war, and they must rely upon it in the future. For that reason, they must see that it was not weakened. The best security against war was strength. Had the British Army been as strong as the Navy in 1914 there would have been no war. The Germans would then never have dared to break the peace. And so now they must always have a strong navy. The Navy League stood for a strong navy, and he was glad to hear that the branch was to be revived in connection with the school. The boys were the men of the future, and their roices/would later be heard in regard to- the, maintenance of the Navy. Let them see that the politicians did nothing to weaken it. He then handed over :o Mr. Moves the red ensign, and expressed the hope that they would qualify for the Union Jack, with the stars of the Southern Cross, awarded by the Navy League when the membership reached 100. When the captain resumed his seat, he was heartily cheered by the boys. < Mr. McLean also addressed a few words to the boys, saying how pleased he was to meet them and to express trie gratitude he and all the people of the Homeland felt for the glorious part played in the war by New Zealand and her splendid sons. -

The boys were afterwards paraded, and pot through physical drill exercise* for the . benefit of the visitors, who were much impressed by the keenness, alertness, and fine work shown. ' "Hie visitors were the guests of the Principal to lunch, afterwards being taken by Mr Newton King to the Mountain Souse.