I'rcieiv of Reviews, Itll/lS. 



939 



THE OVER SEAS CLUB. 



TRAFALGAR DAY CELEBRATIONS. 



The Hon. Organiser, Mr. Evelyn Wren 

 i.s going £plt'n<iidly in .South Afrka. The 

 sented to be Patron. General Botlia ami 

 Hotli Mr. and Mr.s. Wrench write entlui.sia 

 in Natal and the Tran.svaal. A short acco 

 Natal battlefield.s will be found on i)age 



October 21st. the anniversary of . Nelson's 

 glorious victory at Trafalgar, was celebrated 

 by the Over Seas all over the world. At the 

 time of going to press only two reports of 

 ruwtings held have reached us. The ilel- 

 bourne Club was fortunate in .securing Sir 

 George Reid a.s piincipal speaker the day 

 after his arrival. 



His Excellency th<^ Governor-General, in 

 an excellent speech, told the great audienc(> 

 gathered in the Town Hall that an 

 event of the greatest significance to 

 tlie Empire had occurred that day. The 

 i{riti.sh Admiral had hauled down his flag, 

 aiul H.M.S. "Cambrian." the last flagship 

 to be appointed by the Britisli Admiralty for 

 service in Australian waters, had sailed for 

 England, thus severing a connection that had 

 lasted for over 125 years. 



The Lord Mayor, who presided as. Presi- 

 dent of the Over Seas Club, struck the 

 (buninant not<» of the gathering when he said 

 tliey were met to celebrate one of the greatest 

 events in the history of the Empire, in no 

 jingoistic mood, but in a spirit of deep and 

 real patriotism. Mr. Cook and Mr. Fisher 

 Ixith enii)hasised the fact that the Australian 

 Meet unit was but part of the Imperial 

 Navy; it was for the whole Empire when 

 and where it might be required. It is good 

 to have this clearly before us from the start, 

 as there are not wanting those who consider 

 that x\ustrali; 's very own fleet should never 

 leave her shores. 



ch, writes from Johannesburg that the club 

 Governor-General, Lord Gladstone, has oon- 

 many leading men have become members. 

 stically of the reception they have met with 

 unt bv Mi.^^.s Wrench of her visit to the 

 932. 



Sir George Peid was in splendid form, and 

 convulsed his heai-ers with laughter again 

 and again. .\s usual lie got in some telling 

 points in a seemingly ca.sual way, as for in- 

 .stance when he stated how immense an ad- 

 vantage open ports had proved to Great 

 Britain. Dr. J. W. Barrett made a most 

 excellent speech, and .Senator Pearce and 

 Dr. Springthorpe also addres.S(>d the me<'t- 

 iug. A fine programme of patriotic music- 

 was given, Mr. Price, City Organist, presid- 

 ing at the organ. Altogether the great 

 gathering was a huge success, and much 

 credit should be given to Mr. Peters, Colonel 

 Talbot. Mr. Kyme Hob.son, and the commit- 

 tee, for the way in which everything wais 

 arranged and. went off. 



On page 910 is a photograpli of the gather- 

 ing in the Town Hall. On the front of the 

 platform are Senator Pearce, Mr. Cook, tlie 

 Lord Mayor, His Excelleney the Governor- 

 General, Sir George Reid, Mr. Fisher, and 

 Dr. Springthorpe. 



The Adelaide branch organised a naval 

 demonstration at the Exhibition Building. 

 Thi> Governor, Admiral Sir Day Bosanquet, 

 made a stirring speech. He pointed out that 

 it would Ix^ a difficult problem to reconcile 

 independent control and supervision by the 

 Commonwealth of the Australian division 

 of the fleet which it pays for and mans, witli 

 the necessity that tlu-re .should be only one 

 control in war. and that that should be 

 direct(Hl by tile British Admiralty. 



Report of the Queensland Conference. 



Copies of the report of the Brisbane Con- 

 ference are now available, and those who 

 contemplate the creation of State Councils 

 sliould certainly study it. It was decided to 

 bold a Conference once a year, and that e.acli 

 tiiiancial branch pos.s<'ssiiig .500 members or 

 more should .send tv\o cbdegates. and that 

 tlio.se with less than 500 members should .send 

 only one delegate. Tlie subscription to the 

 funds of the C/Ouncil was fixed at 3d. p(>r 

 financial memb(>r. witli a maximum of £4 

 I'lom any one i)ranch. 



The functions of the Council were stated 

 to be as follows ;- To encourage formation 

 and recognition of branches. To review the 

 work of each branch for the past year, and 

 to consider and make suggestions for the 

 uork to be done during the ensuing year. 

 Such suggestions shall not be mandatory, or 

 in any way interfere with the full local 

 autonomy of each branch. It shall not l)e a 

 disciplinary body. It shall act as the rej)!*-- 

 sentative to the (iJov(>rnm(>nt, and all other 

 bodies in Brisbane, of the several branches, 



but only at the re(iuest of each jiarticular 

 branch. 



The Council a])proved suggesting to the 

 central organisation in London that Britain's 

 supremacy ''in tlie air"' should be added to 

 the third ob.ject of the Over Seas Club, mak- 

 ing it read : " To insist on the vital necessity 

 to the Empire of British supr(>macy on the 

 sea and in tlie air." The suggestion that 

 every member of the Club should contribute 

 a .shilling for the purpose of presenting an 

 aeioplaiK' to the Commonwealth was coii- 

 sid^MiH.1 a little jirematurc' as yet. The cost, 

 b,%- the way, of an aer<)i)lane was stated to 

 be £<j0U. The present fully-equipped war 

 planes actually cost C*12(M). 



.\ certain amount of ceremoni.il should, 

 the Council urged. I)t> ob.served at all meet- 

 ings of the Club. Members leaving for other 

 C(>iitri's should b(> provitled with a i)rop«'r 

 letter of iiit roiluction. signed by the Presi- 

 diiit and Si^crt'tary. to the officer^ of the 

 other branch. 



