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May 5, 1902.]
THE NAVY LEAGUE.
The annual meeting of the Hongkong Branch of the Navy League was held in the City Hall on the 29th nlt. Mr. M. W. Slade, Acting President of the Branch, presided, and amongst the other members present were Capt. Cocker, Capt. G. C. Anderson (hon. sacrotary), M› sers. G. Stewart, R. C. Wilcox, B. Layton, N. Mumford, A. Sinclair, and G. J. W. King.
The report and statement of accounts for the year 1901, which were submitted by the SECRETARY, road as follows:- -
REPORT.
The Hongkong Branch of the Navy League have to deplore the death of its President, Cap- tain W. C. H. Hastings. R.N, retired; its Vice-President, Mr. J. J. Francis, K.C.; and of Mr. Robert Cooke, members of Committer, all well-known members of our community whose loss has been universally mourned.
Mr. H. E. Pollock, K.C., our late Hon. Secre tary and Acting President, has left the Colony. but we hope to welcome him back during the present year. The thanks of this Branch are especially due to Mr. Pollock for his conlact of the business under considerable diffienities, and have been snitably conveyed to him by the Committee on behalf of the members.
We have lost the services on the Committee of Messrs. H. A. Litchie, R. L. Richardson. and Captain S. Tillett, these gentleman having left the Colony.
Mr. R. C. Wilcox, Mr. W. A. Cruickshank, and Mr. D. R. Law have joined the Committee, Mr. Gershom Stewart has rejoined on his return to the Colony. Mr. B. Layton has been appoint d Hon. Treasurer rice Mr. R. L: Richardson.
Your Committee have been in e munication with the Head Office in 1 ondon on the varions subjects undermentioned, and their endonyour has been to keep the Head Office as accurately informed as possible of all acts boaring on the objects of the Navy Longue which have come to their knowledge, and to make suggestions made by the Executive Committee at home on the special referenco to local needs and conditions.
1.-The increase of the China Squadron in view of the increase in the number of slips of
other nations.
2-Piracy on the West River and neigh bourhood, and the necessity of an efficient patrol of the inland waters of China.
3.-The subject of auer Naval Naval Defence Act in order to ensure a fixed andsteady increase of Naval strength sailed to our needs.
4--The manning of the Navy and the crea tion of an Imperial Naval Reserve in which the resources of the Colonies may be utilised. (Subject taken up by Admiralty.)
5.- The fixing of definite responsibility upon the First Lord of the Admiralty in respect of any deficiencies in our Navy, and upon each head of Department for defects in his own department. No one to be permitted to take shelter under the collective responsiblity of the Cabinet.
6. The necessity for a firm Naval policy in China.
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7.-The necessity of supplying our fleets with efficient colliers fitted for the work they have to] do; condensing and store ships, hospital ships, and floating workshops, with special reference to the needs of the fleet in the China Station. 8.-The striking ff from our effective strength of all obsolete battleships armed with muzzle-loading guns.
9. The re-equipment of our Royal dockyards with up-to-date plant and appliances.
10, The Naval Yard extension scheme and our local defences.
Members will doubtless be pleased to know
that
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS,
Nov. 8, 1900.
RECEIPTS.
Balance bronght forward as per acconut of
10th September. 1900
Dec. 31, 1900.
Receipts Det Dec. Interest from bank .. Dec. 31, 1991.
Subscriptions due for 1901 Less amount uncollected
Interest from bank. 1901
D-BUISEMENTS.
$1.190 663
*
1,134.36
69.00 12.15
527,00 27,51
C.
60.00
Det.. 1991. to Dec, 1901.
Pail clerk For work done Jan.. 1901. to Dec., 1901.
Paid Guedes & Co., printing Oct. 22, 1901.
111.05
Paid Kelly and Walsh. Bisang Nucy
Jannat
10.08
Nov. 20, 1901.
Paid H. K. Bank for draft on London. re.
mitted head offire. £35.10.6
376.93
Oct. 5, 1901.
Paid H. E. Pollack, various disbursements. Dec. 31, 1991.
62.76
1.116.23
$1.770.02
Balance carried forward to 1902.
The CHAIRMAN —'Gentlemen. It becomes my duty, as Acting President, to proposa the adoption of the report and accounts for the year 191. I should like first of all to draw the attention of the meeting to the leavy loss which the League has sustained in the death of its President, Capta a Hastings. In Captain Hastings we have lost one of the most energelie Presidents that the League could have. Only we members of the Con- mitter know the extent and amonut of; work ho did for the League, and of the whole hearted devotedness which he threw into that work; but everybody who was present
meeting have noticed the vigour and the cheeriness | and the sound good sons which he displayed in his addresses to the meetings which wore held under his presidency here year by year. Besides onr late President, we
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of the Leagno are especially due to Mr. Layton for the way in which he has tackled our accouts c. and placed our finances on a sound and proper footing. That is the result of putting a trained business man into the position of hon. treasurer, and our thanks are due to Mr. Layton for the trouble he has taken. (Applause) As to the work of the Committes daring the past year, reference has been male in the report to some of the matters which have engaged its attention and on which it has corresponded with the Head Office. The executive business of the $1.770.02 | Navy League is carried on at home. At home the Excentive Council is the body which does the direct work of the Loague, which directs the aims and onergies of the Leagne, which shapes its policy, which brings matters that are engaging attention bufore the Gor- ernment at home, and which, if I may bo allow to use the word, intinences the Press on certain extent, To the Head Office go all the reports and the information: that
varions have been collected by the branches of the League throughout the world, selects and it is the Ilead Office which
The and makes us of that information. object of the League is the maintenance of the
in time power which of stress hold this vast Empire of ours together. and this is the Navy. That is the sole object of the Navy League the maintenance of an efficient Navy, and It is chiefly to be obtained by assisting the Government for the time being, by assisting the Admiralty-th Department which has the direct government of the Navy- assisting these two bodies by the formation of a strong basis of public opinion as to the neces- a strong sity, the absolute necessity. for
the ont here (Applause) Navy. necessity for a great preponderance in Naval force must be clear Wodepend for our com- munication with the other nations of the world up the sen; everything we draw from outsi le China is necessarily borne over-sea, and if our Navy wore to fail, if our communications were to b: cut off on account of, the failure of our Mary, Hongkong in lima must necessarily fall, Any resident out here who thinks realise the absolite necessity to us ont here ‹f an overpoweringly strong Navy, and I hope that residents in this Colony will come forward in fiture in larger numbers than they have recently to support this League, which has at heart the maintensure of their position, of their existence, out her. The Navy League Leagne have suffered an almost irreparable loss. Our Committee of the League have los cannot do its work efficiently unless it has the hope every hope ouly temporarily--the services of Mr. support of the community, and Pollock, who left the Colony to enter the member of the League will do his or her to bring in now members during Colonial service in Fiji. We have hopes-bst
the curse of the year. At present we though they are by no means certainties-that he will return here before the end of the year, have 25 members anil 37 associates; gen le- and it is proposed at this meeting to elect him men, these numbers ought to be doubled in the course of the year. If only people would think President of the League. (Applause) have also lost the services on the Committee of the objects. the intentions, of the Navy of Mr. Ritchie. Mr. Richardson, and Captain League, and the work it has done in the past, Tillett, all these gentlemen having left the Col- I think this wish of ours would be fulfilled. ony, and we have also lost Mr. Robert Cooke. | Complaints have been from time to time Mr. Cooke, like Captain Hastings and Mr.levelled at the Navy Leagne on account of Francis, has been removed from us by death. Mr. criticism of the Government and for doing this thing and that in season and out of season. Cooke was a mustunobtrusive and at the same time most useful member of this Committee. Gentlemen, it is only by criticising, by striving He had at his command sources of information after the idea, that our object can be at- which wore of the greatest possible valne to the tained. Unless the Leagne goes on in the course in which it has begun, nuless it strug Leagu, and the information he had be was al- ways realy to devote to the services of the gles to strengthen the hands of the Govern- Leagu Gentlemen with these changes in ment by criticism stimulating, strengthening,
the loss of no le:s
unless it does that wholesome criticism the Committee-with than seven members of the Lagas out of continuously and consistently, the object of To-day we a total of ten on the Committee-the affairs the League will never be attained of the League have been thrown into a state of have an Admiralty, as far as can be judged something like confusion. That, gentlemen. from the information contained in the home is
annual meeting newspapers, as much in earnest to do its best as reason why this been
lat in the has boen ever known in the history of England. postponed until month of April. it has been impossible for the The necessity for a strong Navy has, I think, new men who have been elected to the Com- been emphasised by the speech delivered by Lord Charles Beresford before the London mittee to fill the responsible posts of hon. secre- tary and hou. treasurer, both of which posts Chamber of Commerce. He pointed out in the were held by Mr. Pollock, to pick up all the clearest way, with all the authority of a dis- threads and get the affairs of the League tinguished officer who had only a few days into working order, so that this report and quitted the command of a fleet--he pointed out these accounts could be presented as the several most glaring defects in our Naval annual meeting at an earlier date. Both our organisation. Gentlemen, Lord Charles Bores- and our hon. treasurer ford's speech, the speech of an officer of such hon. secretary deserve the thanks of the League for the high rank as he, is the justification for the very energetic and vigorous way in which criticism of the Navy League. Those points they have worked to pnt all things straight. which he raised, and which he brought forward. (Applause.) I may be permitted to say-though with all the vigour of which he is capable, with illustrations drawn from his own it may sound invidious to do so-that the thanks
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have lost our Vice-President. Mr. Fran is. Mr. Francis was always ready to give the League the benefit of the vast stores of infor- mation and the brilliant intellect with which he was endowed, and in the two men the
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the continue to receive appreciative lotters from Headquarters, with whom our relations are of the most cordial nature, and no efforts on the part of your. Committee will be spared to maintain such a satisfactory state of affairs.
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If, as we hope will be the case, yon approve of what has been done by the Committee, we trust that every member will do his best to in- duce others to join this branch of the Navy League. It should be remembered that in supporting the Navy League you are supporting our trade and everything that makes for a strong and united Empire, which means peace.
G. C. ANDERSON, Hon. Secretary.
Hongkong, 21st April, 1902.
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