SYMBOL OF EMPIRE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1776, 14 June 1913, Page 8

SYMBOL OF EMPIRE.

THE UNION JACK. ADDRESS BY CAPTAIN HALSEY CHILDREN'S DEMONSTRATION. Nearly 5000 peoples mostly little people, assembled yesterday afternoon at the demonstration organised by the Navy League, at which Captain Halsey, of H.M.S. Now Zealand l , was to present a flag to the children, of Wellington, New Zealand, from tho children of Wellington, Shropshire. An address to the children was delivered by Captain Halsey, and an entertainment programme had been prepared for the occasion. It had been tho intention to hold tho demonstration soon after the ship arrived in April, but a multitude of other functions mado this'impossible. A chorus of about SOO children sang several patriotic songs, under tho conductorship of Mr. E. Darroch. Master B. Paiikhurst, a lad with a pure 6oprano voice, sang ".Tack's the Boy and "Tho Minstrel Boy," little Cecil Haines gave two recitations, and Mr. Clarkson sang "The Battle Song of Empire" and "Rule, Britannia," with the children joining in the ohomes. . Mr. Christian Hellemann assisted at. the organ, and Miss Medley at the piano. , The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) said he was exceedingly pleased to be associated with, the great gathering, and also to' offer to Captain Halsey and his men a hearty welcome to Wellington. He hoped Captain Halsey would be able to say from his experience on our shores that people from the North Capo to the Bluff were loyal to the British flag. Although a far outpost of the Empire, we in New Zealand were intensely interested in Imperial affairs. He hoped'that as the boys and girls in the audience and throughout the country lived their lives they would keep in mind the sacrifices made by tho British race in the past in building our great Empire, and not fail themselves if sacrifices should be required of them. (Applause.). Tho meeting was in' part, for tho purpose of receiving a flag from the children of Wellington in Shropshire from .the hands of Caiptain Halsey for the children of Wellington in New Zealand. Ho spolco also of the other flags, a Union Jack and a white ensign, nresented to tho ship bv the people of Timaru. No one could say what tho history of those flags would be, bnt ho was sure that if they were ever oarried into action they would be carried by bravo and loyal men. (Annlause.) tie tendered apologies from the Hon. W. 1?. Massey (Prime Minister), tho Hon. A. L. Herdnian, and tho Hon. W. H. Herries.

Captain Halsey's Address. Captain Halsey-was received with loud applause -when he ascended the platform. 'He had, he said, to present a flag to the. children of Wellington, New Zealand, ,\ ,from the children of Wellington, Shrop- • shire, England. Thisjdoaof the exchange, of flags seemed to him a splendid one.' Away so far distant from the Mother Country the children of New Zealand should: still remember that the Empire began from the Mother Country. The Dominion of.New Zealand was in much the same position as the Mother Country' , was before the Empire began to grow, but New Zealand had the Mother Country to rely upon, and England, when she was 'beginning, had no one. vShe had copied or emulated, the deeds of great nations in history, and she had made a record of noble deeds in building up'her Empire. The flag which he had to present was a Union Jack, and the Union Jack was tho lag of the Empire. In 1767 Captain .Cook landed in Botany Bay, went on to ilercnry Bay and there hoisted the 'Union Jack. Practically since 1767 tho Union Jock had been floating over the . Dominion. | In 1840 the Union Jack was hoisted at the Treaty of Waitangi which joined the white people and the Maoris in peace. Ever since that day New Zealand had been- solid for the Empire. He trusted she might long remain so. (Ap- . plause.) Symbol of Union. He explained how the Union .Jack was composed of three crosses, of St. George, St. Patrick, and St!' Andrew, the patron Saints of England, Ireland, and Scotland. 1 It was therefore a symbol of union, a union which had grown into a glorious Empire on which the sun never sets, and ■ over which the Union Jack always flies. "Who made that union?" he, asked. "Your .fathers and mothers, and their fathers 'and mothers, and their grandfathers and grandmothers." And, he continued, it was our duty to keep and perfect that ■union, and if possible, to make it even stronger.- Ho told a few stories of deeds of heroism by British men in comparatively recent times, to show that the brave spirit of our people still lived. Of several examples chosen was that of Captain Scott and his gallant comrades on their quest for the South Pole. Their example, he thought, was tho most mag■nificent ever shown to men. All would have to die, mayhap under great hardship, Jjut few under such trying circumstances as Captain Scott and his bravo •men suffered. Knowing they were going to die for days, they still went on. and finally settled themselves down to meet death without a murmur—an example of magnificent discipline. They had done their best, and if the British people of to-day would go on doing their best they w.ould keep their Empire, and make it greater and stronger. To tho children of New Zealand he would say, "Follow in the footsteps of your fathers and mothers." They had done something, he said; they had given tho fine 3hip to the Empire. They had "done their bit." (Loud applause.) He hoped New Zealand would faithfully follow its motto, "Onward," and also the other motto, which was on the deck of the. ship, "Fear God. honour the King." If they would follow this motto they/would have, in Empire of which they could justly bo jrotid. , The Flags. Referring to the two flags, which had Wen received in Timaru by General Godjey on' his behalf, he regretted that owing to the weather ho had not been able to fly them in Timaru, but he hoped they would fly on the'ship next Sunday for the first time. And. if the time ever came when the ship would fulfil the purpose for which she was built, he hoped that tho two flags would be flying, and that they would never be hauled down. (Applause.) He then unfurled the flag coming from the children of Wellington, Shropshire— ,a Union Jack with the arms of Shropshire in the centre. "And when you children of Wellington look at this flag," ; he said; "do remember, that it is the flag 'of tho Empire, and that it is the duty of. you boys and girls to keep it flying for ever for a united Empire." (Applause.) Mr. Clement Watson, senior headmaster in Wellington, received Hie flags on behalf of Wellington echools,, but his. remarks were inaudible. .■ ■'.-....•. At the call of the Mayor, the boys gave three cheers, ringing, hearty ones, for Captain Halsey and his officers and mftn. The Mayor, for the Navy League, then presented to Captain Halsey a framed memento of the late Captain Scott, to bo hung on board the battleship. Captain Halsey said he received tho gift with pleasure and with thanks. He had for many years known Captain Scott, who had always been a very great friend of his. It would be hung on, board the ship as an example to the men who served in the New Zealand. (Applause.) .