ROYAL SCHOOL FOR NAVAL AND MARINE OFFICERS' DAUGHTERS.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] am requested by Admiral of the Fleet Sir Hedworth Minix to ask if you will be so good as to publish the enclosed appeal in your columns P November let was the anniversary of the battle of Coronel. In that action, fought against overwhelming odds by the late Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock, between seventy and eighty officers lost their lives. Many of these left daughters, the cost of whose education the State pension is wholly inadequate to defray. The instance serves to illustrate the heavy losses which are involved in naval warfare, and which have left many officers' families in difficult circumstances.—I am,
" We desire to appeal on behalf of the Royal School for Naval and Marine Officers' Daughters, St. Margaret's. Twickenham, of which His Majesty the King is Patron and Her Majesty the Queen is Patroness. The School was founded in 1840 by Naval Officers for the purpose of providing such an education as should fit the daughters of their necessitous brother officers to earn an inde- pendent livelihood. It is absolutely necessary so to increase the endowment that the daughters of the many Naval and Marine officers, who have lost their lives in the war, and whose widows are left in such circumstances that they cannot afford adequately to educate their children, should be received at St. Margaret's. The following case is but one example out of very many. Father's income £446. At his death his widow received a pension of £70. She has two little daughters, for each of whom she receives £16. Her total income is, therefore, £102. It is intended that preference shall be given to such cases. In order to fulfil the main purpose of the School, it is also necessary to build a school hall, sanatorium, new class-rooms, studio, laboratory, music rooms, domestic science rooms, dormitories, and servants' bedrooms, and to instal a heating and ventilating system throughout the building. It is only by the execution of the foregoing scheme that the School can be brought to rank with the great Secondary Girls' Schools of to-day and to conform to the requirements of the Board of Education. The present building, a fine Georgian mansion, with grounds falling to the river, is well adapted for extension. For the two purposes it is estimated that a sum of £50,000 is required. We believe that such an amount, in addition to the amount (.€4,631) subscribed in response to an appeal issued a year ago, will enable us to complete the work. We venture to affirm that there is none more worthy of the nation's generosity than the daughters of the Navy, and that the highest benefit they can receive is an education which enables them to enter the professions and oceupatiohs now open to women. Donations and subscriptions should be sent to U. Holt Stilwell, Esq., Hon. Treasurer, c/o Navy Employment Agency, 25 Victoria Street (South Block), London, S.W. Cheques and P.O.'s to be crossed, Messrs. Cocks, Biddulph & Co., Bankers of the School.— HEDWORTH MEU X, Admiral of the Fleet, President of the School: J. R. Je.Lucoz, Admiral, C.-in-C. Grand Fleet; Cecit. BURNEY, Admiral; T. H. M. JERRAM, Vice-Admiral; F. C. D. STURDIER, V ice - Admiral; DAVID Bumf, Vice-Admiral; J. M. DR HOBECK, Vice- Admiral ; G. A. CALLAGHAN, Admiral, C.-in-C. Nore; S. C. Cotvn.ts, Admiral, C.-in-C. Portsmouth; F. T. HAMILTON, Admiral, C.-in-C. Coast of Scotland; 0. WARRENDER, Vice-Admiral, C.-in-C. Plymouth."
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