GOVERNOR'S PROCLAMATION

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2221, 6 August 1914, Page 6

GOVERNOR'S PROCLAMATION

MESSAGE FROM THE KING

EXPEDITIONARY FORCE AUTHORISED . 1 Fellow subjects : Since I sent •; out:that notice this morning, 1 i I' have (jot another tolegram.. It is very diort. I will read , : ; it to yo i: "War has broken out . with Germany.'' y i ■ Thoso words,, spoken by Hie Excellency , the Governor from the steps of the old Parliamentary Buildings, yesterday afternoon, in the presence of twelve thousand .cheering people,','put an end to tho state lot'tension and.uncertainty in which New jZealanders have been, living 'sir.ee. the /European situation assumed a .critical aspect. ' .;. . The ( first official notification to. the jpublic yesterday was a notice posted con-apicuously-falxjut (ho town, i which intimated thatthe, Gftvernor would make an important! announcement to the people at three o'clock'in tho afternoon from ■ the Bteps h pL,pld Parliament Buildings. It . was understood, the message added, that the .announcement did not involve a declaration of war." Long ' before three o'clock?people;;were streaming in- thousands' through the Parliamentary grounds ?aiid making for the vestibule. At the [appointed.hour, tho assemblage numbered fully twelve; thousand.,, The space .within the..vestibule,.was reserved for Ministers. Judg'es, members, offioials, and their wives;-':!' Seen from this . vantage point,thto'ii.'crowd •'-presented an impressive spectacle—a, sea' ol faces '.turned-' towards' the point, at which tho , Governors wai to appear. His Excellency? Sf s a?3.. r piinctualand precisely: at . j.thr'^e'.'.i'tlcjcfcentered 1 the. vestibule .attend-; *e4 by,-the Prime. Minister and his col'Leader of . the Opposi-: j'tiou; (Sir.rJoseph Ward). As the Gov--and. moved a 'little, ywpy. dowiii-'he -stops, he was greeted with ail outMrst, of,'ftheers. ' There was a quick' move.-.iii. the',,vestibule,' I'or the .Press' tables'liail .been placed too far back, and "the;,;Teporter,s,*s>Ynniied over , them fol"ltfwed by. many 'of the pwple'who bad! b^e'd;,'.standing,;• densely packed,: in : the ;rear.' ...Loyal- cheers':; were raised, as the. ■Governor., read: a grateful message from 'His/lfajcsty-the, King,-and thfc reply dispatched iby. himself. out the culmination. ca.nio., > with,.'the.,reading of the terse state--mcnt:;,"War .has' broken- out '.with. Geitf ■many.", .The response to this iatcful anf,; nouhcement. was a. burst, of cheering, which,, in ..its splendid. volume,sufficientlyindicated; the sentiments- of the, assemblage facing.,the- .Governor. - ?Afterwaidb. . there., were.: cheers : for the King aud, Jlis '.Excellency,'/given at .the ca11... of tlie ; ■Prime 'Minister,- and the National An-. tlierii and;. "Eule ;Britannia" were'suiig.in a..way.'.to be long remelnbered. • Tie, .messages : read,'. and speeches•• de-i "livered, are fully reported below. Save for!- the , triumphant .cheering ;iahd'.singing; an;almost perfect silence was-main-tained.... ,v> The King's Message., When ho came forward to address the gathering, His- Excellency said:—"l have received a, telegram to-day,' and I am going, to read it ,very slowly indeed." In a loud voico he proceeded— ..... " "I am commanded by .His Majesty the :Kihg to read .'to you tho ■ following message:— ' . V '' • • • " 'I desire to' express, to my peo- , ' pie of the Oversea Dominions with . what appreciation ", and pride I ". have received the messages' from -■i';, their respective Governments 'durV .. ihg !the last' few,' days,.. -These ' " : spontaneous .. assurances; of. their fullest;, support, recall' to mo ; tho generous self-sacrificing .help. given . by them in the past to the Mother - Country.- I shall.be'strengthened' : 1 in' the disc'havge of tho great re- : - sponsibilities'which -rest upon- '■'. by the ocmfidonl; belief that in-this-vr. " time of trial-my,'Empire will stand .united,'calm, : resolute,' trusting , ; in. God." . ■ ■ ■ .• _ ', , . GEORGE,, R. 1. ;: "To that message; I have sent the following reply:— ■ . > '; "New 'Zealand desires .. me to acknowledge Your Majesty's Gracious message, and to say that, come good or;ill,, she,, in company with ,the. Dominions and other Dependencies of : the Crown, isprepared'-to, make any ' • sacrifice'to maintain her heritage' and v her birthright.''' ■ (Applause;) . ' "War Has. Broken Out." . Proceeding, His Excellency said:—"Pel-low-subjects*.' Siiice I sent out that notice to you this morning I have got another /telegram. »It is very short. I will:rcail it to yous i . ' ' "WAR' HAS BROKEN OUT WITH : ' - GERMANY." ■ The announcement was greeted with a tremendous outburst of, cheering. When this had subsided somewhat the Prime '.Minister,, called "for three cheers for ; the ,- King.;..-; The:response wds enthusiastic, ; ! and further' cheers were called for by Mr. Massey'.for His Excellency the Govdrnor. ! Again the response was loud and long. 7 Someone =,in ■ the . crowd called for "Three .hoots fori.t'he German.BmiHiror," and this was followed by an outburst of, boohing and hooting. • - • The National Anthem was then , sung, followed by further cheers for the King. i . Tho Empire's/Stand.. . . • - His Excellency: "We have no time for speeches:., :L.propose to send the follow- ■ ingi message:— .. .... ■ "The Empire will, stand united,' calm, .'resoi'ute, trusting in God." A further outburst of cheering followed. THE PRIME MINISTER SPEAKS. NDW DUTY. ■ Wlion- thoTapplause had died away, the Prime '"Minister (the Eight Hon.. W. P.. forward and'said:— • "Ladies and Gentlemen and Fellow Citizens,— very: startling announcement just.jjiado by His Escellency. tho Governor,-'li fear that wo are all of one. way of "thfnkinjj—that the Empire, •; the Britigk'-Empfi'o, and the British people are . to-day face to face with', the-most serious . crisis...eypr gxperiericed in .the history'of tlie Empire, and, I think .we shall come . through successfully; I am confident .we shall'. (Eou'd applause.) ■ Yet we must !• takp ; notice of the very earnest advice contained 'iti\th® last announcement' of His Majesty the-King,-arid which has been reI peated by.'His Excellency the Governor: ' 'The British people must stand together, calm, resolute, .trusting in God,' and L'am glad to say, ladies' and gentlfc- . men, that is"tho feeling which obtains today. , not only in New Zealand, but in every part.9l'the Empire. In consequence tho British -people are able to-day to present ■ a united' front' to their- enemies.' (Applause.) -So far as the New Zealand . people are concerned, New Zealand has . dope its duty on every occasion that'tho Empire ■'•'•required assistance, and will do ' its duty oil the present occasion, and will ■. do its duty in a wliole-heatred manner. • ' - : . -.. Willing Sacrifices. ( : "That we'shall be called upon to make sacrifices goes without saying, but I am . confident that those sacrifices will be mfet individually and willingly, and in a manhor vrortliy of the occasion, 1 and the high* 1 est traditions of the great race and Ein- - pire to which we belong. Oar tot duty C is* to' do everything ; we.' possibly, can. to protect; our country, and at the. Same w tijrie 1 do everything we.cati to assist the Empire, and'when we have done all that mortal man cari.do the rest must be left in the higher hands of, 'Him that keepcth , and that neither slumbers nor sleeps.' • My message to you at the niost trying mo- *; mint, of history is this— !, • '"Keep cool, stand fast, do your i. duty to country and Empire.'" , 1 A voice:'We will do that. '. Mr. Massey: I am 6nre you will. The Opposition Leader. ■ .Sic Joseph Ward said:— | " "Yoiir Excellency, ladies, and gentle- . men.—Out of evil will come good. I am one of thoso who recogniso that in the • affairs of a. nation, as with the individual, . the time arrives when, in tlie defence'or . Jiouour or for our very existence, we must .fight,-and I believe England could not

have stood aside, recognising as she does that powerful friendly nations were engaged in combat, which, if . successful, would menu the. dominating of Europe by a front Continental Power, .and to my mind tho decision, though necessarily it \rill moan loss of human life and (a secondary' consideration) a stupendous amount of treasure, will be lost to the Old World, has ..to. lib borne with fortitude and resignation. The British Empire -is entering -upon -tluo greatest crisis in her history. Her rulers have uono nothing to provoke or precipitate the war; c<n the contrary, they have done all humanly possible to avert it. Tt was impossible, L in my opinion.'for Great Britain to,3tand aside and to let powerful friendly nations go on -without her taking part. Jl'o have done so would have been jan act of cowardice, a. ' thing unknown to Britishers. The'people in all partg of the Empire at this grave juncture will stand united and with undoubted courage and inflexible '• determination, leaving nothing ■undone to ..defeat the enemy, which ! earnestly pray under the guidance of Ilirino 'I'rovidence may 'scion be .brought about, and .that .the "outcome' of the unprecedented struggle may_ ensure lasting peace through tho centuries;to coffle. . "My motto is 'For King„and Country,' ,and it will be fervently breathed by the loyal people'of this Dominion,, as it will be throughout our widely, scattered Empire. May God bless and protect the British forces on land and sea and make them ■ victorious ;is my 'earnest prayer." (Applause.) A voice: Tho "Beds Teds" are with you. ' The National Anthem was again enthusiastically sung, and. then , the Ministers at the back of His Excellency started "Rule Britannia,"' and this was eageriy taken f 'up by tike crowd. ' • - -At'the; conclusion ; cheers were "given fi>r Parliament und'again for, the King.