GENERAL FREYBERG SWORN IN

Chronicle (Levin), 18 June 1946, Page 8

GENERAL FREYBERG SWORN IN

—Press Association

CEREMONIES AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE

By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, June 17. General Sir Bernurd Preyberg " and Lady Preyberg, who arrived in port on Saturday evening and bertked yesterday, eame ashore this morning and were welehmed on landing by the Ilarbour Board, receiving an illuminated address. A fl'iglit of aircraft eseorted th:6 oliicial suite from Government House to Parliament House. The grouuds were crowded "and all the buildings beflagged, and when Sir Bernard stejiped from his eai: the lieads of the three Serviees iitteiuled him. Following the Boyal Salute Sir Beruard, preceded by the Naval and Air Porce.aides-de-camp, -and followed -by .Major the lion. N. Wigram, and three Si'rvit'C lieads, inspected tho composite Services guard. When Sir Bernard and the suite took llieir seats on the tiag draped dais the -omiuission of appointment was read and the Governor-General designate l hen took the oath of allegiance and | the oath ot' office, which the Chief Jusj tiei; (Sir Michael rivers) administered. j The proclamation of assumption of i offj.ee was also read. As soon as his I Exeolloney had signed'the proclamation I the guard' of lionour gave the Boyal j Salute and the Governor-General 's flag I was broken out. I At the conclusion of the salute, tho I Priam Aliuister (Mr. Prastr) delivered | a speeeli of welconie ai'ter which his ! Pxeellency replied. Sir Bernard tlien descended the dais i and insporled ti parade of ex-service-I men aird women ot' this and the First | World War and shook hands with manv uitli wliom he was acquainted. Aft.er | the inspeelion a guard of lionour again I gave the Boyal Salute as the Vice-Begal | partv nioved olf and returned ti) Goveinnient llouse with a ilight of aircraft I overhead.

GENERAL EREYBERG'S REPLY

In replying to the Prime j\linister, General Preyberg said: "1 tttii deeply loiiclied by the welvome you havt) giveu nie and L niu most grateful for the kind |iersonal references made to both of us. In receiving ino here, todav the Governmeut. timi jieojile of New Zealand tire again sliowing the traditional dovolion of the two races, jiakelia and .Mauri, to Ihe King tuni Boval Family. It lias beeiL an iiispirtition to us all during the war to see how the imlegeiident : and sovereigu couiitries of the Enipire luive uijiteil under Ihe roynl leudership 1 and played their jiart- in great. cain[inigns in defence of J'reedoui. War put a lieavy strain on tho Enipire as a v.liole Imt uo people made a liner eonfrilnition lo Ihe general ctiuse thuii the people of New Zealand. Buritig my i.u.iiiiiie uith their yinjesties last 1 April, they wislied me, as did also | tLbieen .Mary, to eurrv ti special liiessage i to Ihe people oi" New Zealand and (o | tell tliein liow niiich tliey remember 'their visit-s to tliese luispitable shoros. I will titke iin early opjiortunity of l.'issuring their llajesties of vour great idevolion tind a/fection for them personi aily and for ull tluit liie B-oytu 1 amily : nlauds for. ' "1 niu glad to be weleomod today by Tepresejila t i ves of the Ihiori ]>eopie for wlioin, as soldiers and as men and | women, L Iiuve such uffection tuni adI jiiirutiou. I ho]ie at an earlv dale to renew my frienrlsliips among the JMiiori people. ' ' ( ieneral Preyberg paid tribute to the Xew Zealand Porces for the gallant v.uy in which they upheld tho lionour of New Zeuland. "No one is better tputlilied lo do so than I because duriiig niy six years in Ihe service of the Gcivermiieut, I had every chance of hearing the opinions of our Allies sind seeing with my own eves the •great qualities uf the men and women you ; seul oversetis. Their qualities have ; been most generousJy praised by the ; Hritish and all our Allies. I can sav i with great sincerity that the reputation j of ihe New Zealand Porces on seaj land and in the air, has been most re- ' mai ktiri.lo. They lived up lo the great traditions of Anzac, and proved them- : ,-elves worthy sons of men of the last ; great war. 1 ' | General Preyberg said he lioped he i woulil have an opportunity !of ' renew- , tiig iimny friend.Miips in New Zealand j with lriends of his youth, mauy oi I v.lioin had written him faithfuily over i a jieriod of .'10 years and, liaving had j d\ er 70,000 New Zealand men and j women under his direct commaml, ! \.'oti!d look forwtird to frequent reunions with them which vvould be aniong the most preeious and happy i.Loineuts of his years of oilice. ".Mr. Prime .Alinister, you reforreil to the f'ai't tliat 1 am the first JSTew ! Zealander to be your Governor-Geiieral. I niu as conscious of this great lionour j as 1 niu of the fact that I follow a line 1 of most distinguished predeces.sors — statesmen, sailors, soldiers and airmen. 1 therefore am fully aware of the respousibilily that has been placed upon iiiv shoulders. The.se are diilieult times I'or Ihose in a higli position. I am con-vim-ed tliat so long as wo stand togother and iqihold Ihe principles for which we fought, and tac-kle our problenis as they arise with eourage and opt iniism, we can suceessfully overcome our dillicult.ies as vvo did in tho war years. For the last six years I ihuve been your General. Toiltiy I becoine your Governor-General. This for me is a farewell to anns Imt by no means a farewell to work. I hope from now onwaid to devote my energies wherever they can best be used in home lil'e, or in your work in the realnis of welfare and of recreation. I sliall dovelop my time to the labours of my otlice which will enable me to watch with sympathy the progi'ess and prosperity of N.ew Zcalanders who have dorie so nmch in the past and who, by tlieir effoits, have earned for themselves a place of lionour in the world."