*
US.
[December 8, 1897.
on
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
of the Public Health Ordinance for the re- amongst younger branches that have applied to break of a war how many British ships might drainage of 182 houses. Plans for 410 houses Seamen serving in vessels belonging to the not be seized and run by their foreign crews were passed during the first half of the year Canadian and Pacific Railway or Peninsular | right into the enemy's ports? On the subject of and plans for 1.023 houses were carried forward and Oriental Companies, or any other subsidised manning the Toronto Branch of the Navy from 1896, making a total of 1.615 houses in merchant cruisers, can now be enrolled on ap. Lengne in their memorial to the Governor- hand for redrainage during the year. The re- plication to the Commodore in Charge at Hong General of Canada of the 14th December last drainage of 87 houses had been completed during kong. Payments for retainers to Royal Naval say: "The shortage of men ឆន a reserve the quarter making, with 640 houses previously Reserve men will also be made by the Pay for the British Navy is receiving the serious completed, a total of 727 for the year and leav-master of H.M.8, Victor Emanuel. Your Com attention of the British Government, and ing, after deducting 17 houses, the plans of
in connection with that question it is which had been cancelled, 871 to carried
pointed out that competent authorities forward. Notice of redrainage repairs had
naval matters are urging upon the English been received in 34 instances making with
people the uecessity for taking prompt and 230 previously received, a total of 26-1 for the
eren radical measures for increasing the Royal year. A total of 150 have been completed
Naval Reserve and reforming the constitution and 114 carried forward. A total of 160
thereof." It is true that at the great naval- houses have been inspected under Section 53 of
review in June last 40,000 men manned the the Public Health Ordinance, in 27 of which
fleet, but how many of those men were coast- the drains were found in order. Notices were
guardsmen ? In war time could we strip our served on the owners of 133 houses to entirely
coasts of trained look outs? Our French friends reconstruct the drainage arrangements. Cer-
have stated with frank brutality that whilst tificates have been issued under Section 74
avoiding battle with our fleets every effort will of the Public Health Ordinance to 70 houses as
be made to burn and barry defenceless coast having been built in accordance with the provi-
towns and seaside watering places-by the sions of that ordinance.
slaughter of women and children and help- less invalids to terrorise the people of England. It may have other results. That very naval review is already proving a stumbling block to the Navy League; already the little Englanders are raising their heads and tanutingly asking, Are the jingoes satisfied now? The answer "from Leaguers must he, "No," unhesitatingly, most emphatically, "No." You have all doubtless read in the October number of the League's journal that criticism of the British Nary translated from “La Marine Francaise "written on the Jubilee re-
MORTALITY STATISTICS.
A NEW DEPARTURE.
Correspondence having been read in reference to the need for the erection of a public urinal a discussion ensued and it was resolved to write to the Director of Fublie Works asking him to report on the advisability of erecting an under- ground urinal near the City Hall museum.
ADJOURNMENT.
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mittee have continned to bring forcibly to the notice of the Navy League the lamentable in- crease in disease, and in its virulence, pressing the urgent necessity for the re-enactment of the Contagious Diseases Act. In view of the action being taken with regard to India, and the rein- forcement of the Cantonment Act, there is a reasonable prospect to hope that the old checks found to work salutarily here will be reverted to. In the early part of the year we forwarded through this Branch of the League expressions of opinion, deprecating any reduction of the Mary Estimates, from British subjects at Chin- kiang, Hankow, Foochow (32 signatures), Amoy (30), Canton (31), and Hongkout (462). However much they may have been in accord and sympathy with the resolution, no members of the Civil, For the week ended 13th November the death Naval, Military or Consular Services felt at rate was 18.4, as against 27.7 for the correspond-liberty to sign it. Gentlemen, it is easy to scoff ing period of last year; for the week ended 20th at our short rolls of names, an sneeringly to November the rate was 23, as against 22.2, and say that Imperial ideas commend themselves to for the week ended 27th November the rate was ns for obvious reasons; that we reap the bene. 20.9, as against 20.
fit; the taxpayer at home pays the piper- a very narrow view, and an incorrect assertion. Where would that Empire be but for its out- posts and advanced pickets? Have not those outposts and advanced pickets the right to demand adequate support and security of com. munication with the main body? or are hey, view, There are two passages in it we should merely scapegoats driven forth into the wilder- earnestly press on the attention of our country- ness-sapless excrescences to be lopped off and men. They are: "I, however, insist on this consumed when the time may seem ripe to the point: The British Navy is unequal to the spoiler? Do we pay nothing to the piper task which will fall upon it, sooner or later, Why are we here but to spread and maintain under circumstances which no man can foresee, that trade, on which feed and flourish the forty but which may any moment arise unexpectedly." millions at home in the heart, the core of that And again: "I personally should have liked Empire on which the sun never sets ?" (Ap-those foreign fleets to have been present, that plause.) Howbeit, our resolutions went home. and our party if you like to call it a party that party without a name, whose sole plank is the maintenance of the sovereignty of the seas for and by Great Britain-gained its' im- mediate object; the Estimates for the Navy were not reduced. We contributed our tiny drop to the flood tide of that success. Your Committee has during the year under review given two prizes of $20 each to four schools, viz: Queen's College, St. Joseph's College, Victoria English School, and the Diocesan School for the best essays on "The Command of the Sea and The use of the British Navy." The thanks of the Committee are due to the Rer. Mr. Cobbold for adjudicating the prizes in the case of the Diocesan School, and also to Mr. Machell for his course of lectures to the Loys of Queen's College, the results of which were very apparent in the excellence of the work sent in from that college, St. Joseph's College has as yet not sent in any essays. Your Committee hus cou- gratulated the branch of the League at the Cape of Good Hope on the splendid offer by that
;
The Board then adjonrued until Thursday
week.
THE NAVY LEAGUE.
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE HONGKONG
BRANCHI
The annual meeting of the Hongkong Branch of the Navy League was held on 3rd Decem- ber at the City Hall. Commander W. C. H. Hastings, R.N.R., presided and amongst those present were-Messrs. H. E. Pollock (Hon. Secretary), Gershom Stewart, J. J. Francis, J. McKie, H. N. Mody, C. Duncan. J. McGregor Forbes, H. Wodehouse, T. Jackson, and G. C. Anderson.
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The CHAIRMAN.-Gentlemen, pior to asking you to pass our report, which I trust you will take as read, I desire to make a few remarks on our work during the past year. Before touching on the events of the past thirteen months for it is more than a year ago since we last faced you at a general meeting-I must refer to the loss we have sustained by the departure of our first President, Mr. Atwell Coxon, and though for his suke we rejoice that he has gone home for good, on behalf of the Committee and this branch of the Leagne, I am sure you will heartily concur with me in regretting that he is not with us to-day to preside over this meet-colony of a battle ship to the mother country- ing. Many of the subjects taken up by this untramelled as it is by any conditions. The branch of the League were on his initiative, Central Committee have impressed on us that and to his clear judgment, kindly tact, and wise local endeavours should be made to raise a Naval leadership is due much-very much-of such Reserve, and we have outlined in scheme-the measure of success as has yet attended our efforts. only one that appears feasible, under existent Wherever he is, though, we may be tolerably conditions in these seas,for forming a Reserve sure he will always take a warm interest in of trained Chinese stokers, which has been sub- Hongkong, and in this branch of the Navy'mitted to the League and also to the Naval League. I was nearly saying in this most Anthorities on the station. This brings us to distant branch of the Navy League, but since our most serious want-men. During the past our last meeting on the 23rd of October, 1896, 10 years some 34,000 men have been added to the one of our members, Capt. Palmer, bas resigned, Navy and yet Lord Charles Beresford tells us only however to start a sturdy little twig of the that on the outbreak of war we should require League at Chinkiang. It is to be regretted 30,000 additional men to man the fleet; and, that we have had ro more interesting and in- gentlemen, We have not got the trained structive lectures from Mr. Francis; still, our That great nursery for the British roll of members shows that the interest in this fleet, the merchant service, is now manned to the brauch of the League has not flagged. We extent of 55 per cent. by aliens, and the num number to-day 93 members and 20 associates. bers of British merchant seamen are rapidly Last year we had 85 members and 22 associates. dwindling, so rapidly that the day seems not far If our correspondence with the Head Office dur-distant when, like the Dodo, the species will be ing this our second year of existence has not been so voluminons as last year, it has been because some of our aims have been in part attained and also because we are now in working order,- a going concern,--giving instead of receiving instruction and advice, disseminating knowledge
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extinct. We here in Hongkong saw an illus- tration of this only the other day. A British sailing ship. owned in London, loaded in and cleared from a British port, bound to this British possession, was commanded and manned (with one exception) by Germans. On the out
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the English might have seen them and under- stood what ก menace hangs over their heals. Then the true patriots would have realised that it was no time to slumber in idleness. That is just the point. If the great multitude that shouted themselves hoarse in the Solent in June last could be taught that in a score of dockyards from the Bal- tic to the Mediterranean were lying fleets numerically equal to ours, and that tens of thousands of men were working with feverish baste to increase those fleets till they were deemed equal to our destruction, our task would be over. We cau afford no equality; until we have achieved absolute superiority to any com- bination, till then the "Pax Britannica" is not assured and our objects are not attained. Our fleet of battle-ships has not that one-third numerical superiority to the fleets of Russia and France laid down as the very minimum of strength for our requirements by the Com- mittee of Admirals to seal up all their bat- tle-ships in their ports; and who shall say that it will be only France and Russia we may have to reckon with? Our cruisers are not numerous enough to protect all our trade routes. France is outstripping us ib torpedo boats and destroyers, and building besides three 23-knot cruisers. Germany has one of the largest, and the very fastest trans-Atlantic liners afloat. We congratulate curselves that we can build ships faster than any other power, but France is treading very closely on heels, as also is Germany. The industrial war now raging in England has hopelessly dis- located the naval programme for 1897. Can we make it up in 1898 with the work for that year? Will the breathing time last through 1898 Lord Wolsley has made out an excellent case for the increase of the
our
Army, and who can speak with greater weight- more knowledge than the Commander-in-Chief? But still as Leaguers-there is as yet no Army League-it is our plain duty, in season and out of season, to press upon our countrymen the paramount necessity for an all-powerful Navy. We have had a marvellous awakening and now we see how much yet remains to be done. awful to think what that awakening would have been had war broken out 10 years ago. Had such a contingency occurred, and our want of preparation become apparent, a Lord of the
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