THE NAVY LEAGUE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3098, 22 January 1909, Page 5

THE NAVY LEAGUE.

ITS AIMS AND OBJECTS. AN INTERESTING LECTURE BY LIEUT. KNOX, R.N. The audience which gathered at the Town Hall last evening to hear the lecture on "The Aims and Objects of the Navy League," delivered by Lieut. Knox, were treated to a most entertaining and instructive address. The chair was occupied by His Worship che Mayor, on the stage being seated other prominent citizens. The Mayor, in introducing the lecturer, said that Lieut. Knox was not a "street corner general," but a gentleman of experience and ability, a member of the Royal Navy, and organising secretary of the Navy League. The subject he would deal with was one he understood and was well qualified to speak upon. The people of the Dominion were indebted to Lieut. Knox' to a very considerable extent for coming to awake in colonials, as British suojects, the spirit of interest in the British Fleet, upon the existence and efficiency of which the Empire depended. M r hiolhngs laid stress upon the fact that Lieut. Knux, far from being a professional lecturer, was not on a money-rnaking cruise at all, but as a matter of fact was iri New Zealand for the benefit of his health, and had been pressed to give his views by lecture on a subject he was so keen on. Lieut. Knox, on rising, was greeted with prolonged applause. He stated that at the outset he would assume that his hearers were all British subjects, and as such were interested in the vVELFaRE OF THE FLEET as much as the people of the seaports, as the safety of every individual part of the Empire depended equally on the Fleet's efficiency. The lecturer then read an extract from a naval journal, which showed to what extraordinary lengths the people of Germany went to maintain interest in their Navy. The German Navy League possessed considerably over a million memberr, and its revenue was £50,000 a year at least. in the German restaurants, at railway stations, in the home, everywhere, were to be seen miniature naval devices used for the purpose of collecting funds to prosecute the work of the League. The lights in the Hal! were then lowered, and the balance of the address, which lasted until 10 o'clock, was copiously illustrated with a very fine series of lantern slides — actual photographs taken by tbe lecturer himself, embracing every phase of the naval question. Tne opening illustrations were of some British Admirals past and present. There were projected on to the screen of pictures of Lord Nelson, Sir John Fisher (first sea Lord of the Admiralty), Field Marshal Lord Ruberts, Admiral Sir Charles Beresford. Admiral Sir Percival Scott, Sir Geoffrey Hornby (President of the Navy League), a"-i (at the conclusion) of His M : :sty the King. As these celebrities passed in turn before the view of the audience, eulogies to each being given by the lecturer, the audience applauded most heartily, the King's portrait receiving particular attention. The other views included a valuable collection of slides depicting the latest German battleships, cruisers, destroyers, etc., views of the chief German | ports, dockyards, arsenals and j strategic depots. The Lieut, stated that he himself had been to all the places imluded in the views given, and in a naive manner, which caused constant merriment, he apologised continually for the ap- ! pearance among the views of PLANS OF GERMAN FORTIFICATIONS

and other -equally instructive and invaluable pictorial information. It was evident that the lecturer had instinctively kept his eyes open in true naval style when on tour in many foreign countries, and the information he h3S collected must be of considerable strategic value. The outstanding lesson of the lecture, which was bright and chatty from start to finish, was the absolute necessity evidenced for the British Empire to maintain a standard commensurate with the feverish p-ogress characterising German naval operations. The audience were for the most part, no doubt, greatly astonished at not only the magnitude of. the German navy at present, but also the rate of increase of its strength being maintained by the German authorities. Further than that the Germans were intensely patriotic, and from their mothers' knees were taught patriotism which knew no limits. German children from the innermost ninterland were brought to the seaports in thousands just to see the great mercantile fleet, and the g<-eat battleships. For what object? To show them how essential it was for their country to maintain its at the highest efficiency. In contrast to this Lieut. Knox drew an

EFFECTIVE WORD PICTURE of the methods of those politicians in Great Britain who were filad to enrich themselves personally in their businesses behind the protection of the shield afford 2d by the British Navy, yet were advocating for m little navy to protect a big mercantile fleet. "These politicians," said the lecturer, "seem to have forgotten that they live on an island, and that an island is a piece of land entirelv surrounded by water. For such a land of what use is an army alone for defensive purposes?" Passing on, the lecturer described and illustrated the fleets and modern naval achievements of other nations, and particularly of the Japanese. Very interesting indeed were some pictures taken during the late Russo-Japanese War. Then, again, a dtrikingly fine picture showed the harbour of Welhemshavcn, in Germany, with sixteen leviathan steamj ers in port at one time of the North German-Lloyd fleet, always at the disposal, if necessary, of the German Navy for transport purposes. Asa set-off came a slide showing the magnificent liner Maurietania, which, with its sister vessel the Lusitania—both record making clippers—was built out of Admiralty loaned money . to place the vessels at the call of the British Navy. Enthusiasm greeted the exhibition of slides of the

Dreadnought, the Indomitable, and other MIGHTY BULWARKS of Britain's naval pride. Lieut. Knox lost no opportunities of showing how closely Germany was bringing herself to the British Isles, by e\ery strategic step conceivable, and how the Fatherland was straining every nerve to found a navy to equal, if not surpass, the British Fleet. An incidental but vital point was made by a printed slide which told how forty thousand foreign seamen were drawing two million pounds per year in wages from the British Mercantile Marine—"money which should be paid to British subjects," , was the lecturer's comment. The | slides showing the schools at Home, j supported by the Navy League, were received with rounds of applause. The lecturer has quite a unique and an entirely captivating style of expressing himself—in fact the sardonic scorn with which he repeatedly referred to the weaknesses only too apparent in many ( British methods of to-day caused , repeated expressions of sympathetic I amusement. Lieut. Knox closed an exceptionally interesting address with a fervent appeal for practical sympathy with tho objects of tha Navy League. Enthusiastic and prolonged applause followed. The Mayor said that the lecture which the audience had been treated to was an exceedingly fine effort, and one which he was pleased to see the audience recognised at its true value. His Worship said that he wished to move the following motion: "That this meeting, after hearing Lieut. Knox's lecture, affirms the desirability of establishing a subbranch of the Navy League in Masterton." Mr Hollings said that as a matter of fact sunn a branch had been commenced locally, and His Worship read out a list of names of prominent citizens who had already joined. This motion was seconded by Mr W. H. Beetham, and carried unanimously, amid loud applause. The Mayor then moved as follows: "Ibat this meeting welcomes the assurance of Mr Asquith of the determination of the British Government to maintain the two-Power standard, but views with concern the proposal of the Government to reduce the speed of sixteen torpedo-destroyers from 33 knots per hour to 27 knots."' (The importance of this matter was greatly emphasised by Lieut. Knox in his lecture.) Mr J. D. Cruickshank seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. The Chairman moved that the meeting accord hearty thanks to Lieut. Kuox for his able and valuable address. Mr W. H. JacKson, in seconding the motion, regretted very keenly he nad not learnt prior to the school vacation that such a splendid lecture, having so much practical value, was to be given. Had he known he would.have filled the Hall to overflowing with senior scholars, to whom the instructive lecture would have been a treat. The motion was carried by acclamation. A vote of thanks to the Mayor for presiding concluded the meeting. Lieut. Knox has furnished us with a list of useful publications issued by the Navy League publishers, as follows:—(1) "The Navy League Journal (illustrated), price 3d monthly; (2) The Navy League Map, 6ft x sft 3in, published price £1 Is; (3) The Navy Laague Map, small, in case, Is; (4) "Britain on and Beyond the Sea (handbook to Navy League Map), Is 6d; (5) The Navy League Annual, 2s 6d; (6) "The British Navy, Past and Present," by Admiral Laidley Wilmot (44 illustrations), Is. Leaflets, pamphlets, etc., free on application to the Secretary Navy League, 13 Victoria street, London, S.W.