To the Editor of the "Norta-Elsa Dany News."
$in,—You mn: possibly he aware from the reports which by uppearel in the Press that a branch the British Navy Jeazne has been esta the British residents in Japan.
The branch was founded at a meeting held on 28th March last' at the British Consulate at Yokwhama, with His Exe Tency Sir Claude MacDonald in the chair. The Minister most kindly seceptet the ofice of President of the I very. influen A Sub-Committee at a subsequent meet Consulate at Kobe, where the principal British bers. The defined as "a strictly nen-party tion, formed to urged upon the Gover ment and the importance of an adequate Nal only sure guarantee of peace. ships are, "as Lord Charles esterd ebsarved, cheaper than wars.
The main purport of the league is the maintenance of the porce of the world by the removal of the immense temp which inadequacy of naval protect ance of the objects in view, clever Iranches have been established during a four wnonths' stay, making fourteen in all, within the Dominion.
The ad accruing from the (The help thu of the League alike in the old country and vughont the Exnpire. Every additiona brings increase of strength to the League as a whole, snd the fact that its 1 comprises all the principal residents yghai could not fail to enable it to speak greater weight.
2).—The means thus granted to Uritish residents in this land of giving effect to their views and to the special knowledge which their position here tends to bestow upon them. Many valuable suggestions which. while oman dividuals, might fail to obtain attention which individuals night ive publicity, could he placed before the public at home by the Navy League possesses in its own publica necess to the Press, and in the Meimbars of Parliament bers wf ite body or in active ywpathy with its aims.. There might be when such suggestions would be vital use to the whole Eupire.
(3),—The support thus rendered to the atte pt of the League, explained above, ty form new branches in the Colonies The fact that communities of British, outside the British Empire, have formed branches will be clearly strong argu-{ment to bring forward favour of the for-motion of branches st Bri ish communities within it. Evidently also this argument will possess force proportionate to the strength of the branches referred (4). The means thus furnished to the British community here to get into touch with all those localities in the Empire in which branches of the Navy League exist. The League publishes a monthly journal which is supplied to all its members who desire to have it, and which gives opportunity for a record of the doings and of the ideas of all its branches.
The value to British residents themselves of the increased interest in naval defence, and of the increased knowledge of its nature, which membership of the League tends to bestow.
(6). The satisfuction—which must be felt by all men of British blood—in the thought that they are themselves doing something to support that navy which, ides being the insurance of their own interests at sea, has been in the past and may be in. the' feature, the chief bulwark fiuman freedom and' the chief means of succouring the appressed. The Navy League' furnishes to British residents in Shanghai the only opportunity of ronde this support and is the only organ ion in the British Empire which has this aim in view.
In the hope of setting these obj ts more fully before British residents in Shanghai and of enlisting their aid, a meeting will he held in the Court room of the British Consulate a3 pin. on Tuesday, 12th May. H.B.M. ConsulGeneral has most. kindly consented to take the chair, and a provisional Committee has been formed, consisting of the following gentlemen H.B.M. Consul-General, Messrs. W. G. Bayne, J. 0. P. Bland, R. M. Campbell, RW. Dittle, Av M. Marshall, and It is hardly necessary to add that the of a branch of the Navy League nghai represents merely the exercise wy British men of a right reserved by ther equally with the citizens of other ites, the right, namely, todo what they wide for the safety of their sea-borne ts and of the dominions of their race tthe world. That. residence at hai should debar a foreigner, of whatever nation, from making such an effort would be hard indeed, especially as it involves not the slightest hostility to. the subjects of other Powers, uor the least menace to amicable relations with them, Iventure, in conclusion, to appeal humbly but most earnestly, for the help and countenance of all these who (to quote the words of our forefathers incorporated in the Naval Discipline Act) '"desire the wealth, safety and strength of the Kingdom, which depenil, under the good providence of God, chiefly on the Navy."
Lam, ili. F. Wrartr, Delegate of the Navy League in England Ist May.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.