'COOEE!' 'KIA ORA!'

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 222, 19 September 1928, Page 11

'COOEE!' 'KIA ORA !'

MAGNIFICENT WELCOME., CIVIC RECEPTION SCENES. LEADER'S EXCELLENT SPEECH ' 'ALL FELLOW COUNTRYMEN." ' A magnificent welcome awaited the crew of the Southern Cross at the Town < Hall, when, just before mid-day, the ( civic reception began. The large con- < cert hall was packed from floor to ceil- i ing and there could be no question as J to the sincerity of the cheers which arose when Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith J and his colleagues, accompanied by the } Mayoral party and representatives of ' the municipality, the naval and military j forces and the Aero Club entered the j building. j There was a striking tribute from i past and present members of the Australian Imperial Forces in the presence ( of some 33 old "Diggers," many of them j having long records of service. Their J cries of "Cooee!" reinforced by the ' voices of other Australians present, lent s a rousing and typically Australian note to tho welcome. "We are all fellow , Australasian people," said Squadron- . Leader Kingsford Smith, in his reply to tho Mayor's speech. "We like the people of New Zealand and we regard them as our own fellow countrymen. We are sorry we cannot be with you longer, but we hope we shall meet you again." The Australian ex-soldiers were headed by Captain J. A. Lambden, M.C. (37th Infantry), and among those present on parade was his wife, who served as Sister Lambden in Solonlca. The other officers were Lieut. E. P. Titchener (Ist Division, R.F.A.), £aptain H. K. Vickery (3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance), Lieut. D. H. Ross (23rd Brigade) and Lieut. V. J. Parkinson (Ist Squadron Australian Air Force). Veteran members included Mr. F. M. Worters, who has 32 years , service with the Royal Marines and the navy, and ex-Gunner W. Alexander (R.F.A.), who holds the maximum number of clasps to his King's and Queen's South African medals. Toe Mayor Says "Welcome." Welcoming the visitors the Mayor said that the citizens, had met to exprees pleasure at the honour conferred on them' by the visit of SquadronLeader Smith, Flight-Lieutenant Ulm, navigator Litchfield and Mr. McWilliam, the wireless operator. "It is in no idle fashion a« Mayor that I extend to you a most cordial welcome," he added. "I feel that you yourselves regret just ae much as the people of Auckland that you were not able to carry out your original programme and arrive here yesterday. With your usual discretion you naturally studfed the weather and there is no doubt that that has tended considerably to make yoiir trips a success." The Mayor further pointed out that he had to attend to many civic receptions, but thid was the firet occasion in the city's history that he had to receive aviators. It gave 'him added pleasure to perform his task, because the visitors had accomplished so much. Ever einco the voyage from America had commenced he assured Squadron-Leader Smith and hie colleagues that New Zealanders had watched with interest their movement* in the Southern Crose. It was a happy <Jay for New Zealand when their intention to fly the Tasman Sea was made known, and in addition their crew was to include a New Zealander. A Voice: They nearly came- on Sunday. (Laughter and applause.) After a pause the Mayor added: I have just eeen the joke; Another Voice: Half of them haven't seen it yet. (Renewed laughter.) Continuing, the Mayor eaid that the visitors had demonstrated the practicability of flying the Tasman, and would go down in hietory ae the pioneere in the establishment of a new link between the Commonwealth and the Dominion. On behalf of the citizeii3,he gave them a most cordial welcome to Auckland. The Mayor's final word was "Kia Ora." On behalf of the Auckland Aero Club a welcome was extended 'by Mr. H. T. Merritt, who eaid that tlhe Bucceesful Taeman flight would greatly stimulate aviation in New Zealand. He said that Auckland wae the first city in New Zealand to have an aero club. He appealed to the public to aaaist aviation. "We Are Rot Heroes." Squadron-Leader Kingsford Smith, who had a rousing reception, was presented by the Mayoress with a wreath of bays in which gold and green leaves were intermingled. He raised the wreath to his face when he got up to speak. "If you had the wind up as much as I have, you would not want to speak at all," he said—a sally which was greeted by the packed audience with appreciative cheers. "Citizens of Auckland and fellow Australasians," said the flight leader, "I do desire to thank you most sincerely for your wonderful welcome. We have been lionised, to an unprecedented extent, and we are certainly gratified, although we are somewhat overwhelmed. This business of getting on your hind legs and talking is no good at all." (Laughter and more cheers.) There was an impressive moment when Squadron-Leader Smith made reference to Lieutenants Hood and Moncrieff, whom he described as the real pioneers of flight between the Australian continent and New Zealand. "We are very glad and proud," he said, "to have the privilege of following Lieutenants Hood and Moncrieff, who were in the truest sense pioneers, and I am going to ask you to stand in silence for a few seconds." The huge assembly rose at this moment, and the impressive tribute of silence was paid to those who made the supreme sacrifice in the cause which has at last been crowned with success, "Thank you very much indeed," said Kingsford Smith. "It is by the efforts of brave men like that that we who come after are able to be successful. It must never be forgotten that they were the real pioneer*". We have had the privilege of meeting Mrs. Moncrieff, and we hope to meet Mrs. Hood. I can tell you it made our hearts very full indeed to receive the welcome we did- from the widow of one of those brave men." "We don't feel heroes. We just did our job, ,, he continued- "We believe in aviation, and we believe in sane r.viation There are very few risks, and it is a thing everyone should do. (Laughter.) I am sorry the Southern Cross won't carry more than eighteen, otherwise would take you all up. (Applause.) We all try to do our job, and the work of one is indispensable to all." Referring to Wireless Operator McWilliam as "that New Zealand fellow of yours," the speaker paid a tribute to kin pluck and

efficiency, mentioning that he had accomplished a job which had never been done before, namely, repairing a wireless set whilst in flight. In a brief and characteristically pithy response, Flight-Lieutenant Ulni struck the same chord of reverence and admiration for Lieutenants Hood and Moncrieff. After paying his tribute to the dead pioneers, he made mention of the important part -which wireless plays in aviation, pointing out that it was not only as a means of keeping in touch with the land, but as an aid to actual flying that radio was essential. An Aucklander's Home-Coming. Wireless Operator McWilliam was also given a wonderful reception. He said it was a happy moment for him to return to Auckland, where he had spent much of his scholastic days. He had many friends in Auckland,, and he was rapidly making new ones. In Squadron-Leader Smith and Flight-Lieutenant Ulm the public had men with records that were outstanding in the Hying world to-day, and it was a 'great honour for him, a Now Zealander, to be associated with them in their great venture. He paid a tribute to Squadron-Leader Smith for his handling of the Southern Cross on the flight across the Tasman, and said that at some stages they "had the wind up." Although he was hailed as the orator of the party, Mr. Litchfield immediately disabused the audience of this fact, both for his reserve and brevity. He expressed his thanks for the wonderful reception. This was not his first visit to Auckland, and he hoped it would not be the last. There was an impressive ending to a memorable reception when the huge audience stood to sing the National Anthem.