The Patriotic League

To the Editor of the "Norra-Cuina Dairy News."

Sin,—I understand that it is intended to devote subscriptions to the Patriotic League to the proviso ion of a battleship, to be presented to the Empire by British subjects residing abroad. The formation of the League is @ grand idea and will be heartily supported, but I think we must all feel anxious, at this crisis in our history, that our effort to help the Motherland should result in real and material assistance, and I am not at all sure that devoting our money to a battleship is the best we can do with it. It seems to me that the suggestion of providing a battles! due to want of imagination and simply arises out of precedent It has been felt, and rightly felt, that all who have the privilege of being British subjects should contribute to the defence of the Empire, and this suggestion is an easy peg on which to hang a spirited appeal to our patriotism and saves the promoters from the trouble of thinking out a more practical scheme.

There are two doubts in my mind. The first is whether we require a still larger Navy. Judging from what our splendid Navy has done and is doing, it would appear to be quite strong enough for the work in hand. Certainly our enemies seem to think so, since they have made up their minds that Kiel harbour is a pleasanter place than the bottom of the sea. And we all know that the end of this war will see the disappearance of the menace in the North Sea, when a larger Navy will be a useless expense.

My second doubt is whether we should in fact strengthen the Navy by our contributions. I have great mistrust for politicians, pecially when they are demagogue,

Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.