Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-08-05
BRITISH sEAMEN.
New Scheme for strengthening the
Naval Reserve.


Naval Reserve.
Lord Brassey presided yesterday
afternoon, at the Hotel Metropole,
over an influential gathering, which
had been called for the purpose of con-
sidering a scheme formulated by the
navy league for training British boys
for service in the mercantile marine
and ultimately in the royal naval
reserve,
The navy league has drawn atten-
ton to the fact that there should be
strong naval reserve of not less than
10000 men and that the natural source
of supply is our vast mercantile
marine. Then it is pointed out that
foreign seamen are rapidly ousting
British sailors from British ships, and
it is in order to remedy this evil that
the new scheme has been drawn up.
1t seeks to establish at suitable points
round the coast depot training ships,
each to be capable of turning out at
least 800 boys per annum; and the
Navy League has ascertained upon IN
quiry that active support IS likely to
be met with from the technical educa-
ton committees of county councils
and other authorities.
Lord Brassey moved a resolution to
the effect that an organized effort be
made to introduce a system of train
ing boys for the royal naval reserve
upon the lines recommended by the
report of the royal commission of 1859
and already successfully adopted in
the case Of the royal navy He said
that they could not question the dis
erection of shipowners in employing
foreign seamen, however regrettable
it might be from national point Of
view. They intended, however to
have a strong navy, and they were
bound to have crews ready for every
effective ship. If the aid of the state
were not brought in to supply seamen
for the naval reserve the mercantile
marine would soon cease to be q
source from which to draw men for the
navy Reservists,- he thought, should
be paid a retainer" at sufficiently
liberal standard to satisfy the reason
able requirements of well-trained men
A. L. Jones Glider, Dempster & Co.. j,
who seconded the resolution, pointed
out that British shipowners did not
employ foreigners on account of choice
or economy, but from necessity.
The resolution was adopted unan-
imously.
Admiral Brand moved That an as
sociation be formed for the purpose
of securing the establishment of train
ing ships for boys of good character
and physique DESTROYS of entering the
mercantile marine and royal naval re-
serve, and to prepare a scheme"
This was also carried unanimously.
f. T. Bullen considered that the fun
damental benefit of the scheme lay in
the fact that the boys would be well
looked after and would be at the same
time part and parcel of the royal naval
reserve With reference to the
strength of the permanent personnel
of tie British navy, as compared with
in case of war France and
Russia, being self.contained countries,
could call up all their merchant
seamen, and the latter were
tanned countries, could call up all their
merchant seamen, and the latter were
all we1l-trained men. Britain, how
ever, was unable to do so. If she did
her inhabitants would have to starve
Arnold White, in the course of his
speech, observed that during the past
IS months they had received a warn
ing to organize their forces such as no
other nation had had for 100 years.
If that warning were neglected it
might mean absolute destruction as a
power.-London Chronicle.