VISCOUNT JELLICOE'S VISIT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 167, 9 April 1919, Page 7

VISCOUNT JELLICOE'S VISIT

FAREWELLED IN LONDON BY THE HIGH COMMISSIONER ■ INTERESTING SPEECHES (Prom Our Own Correspondent.) London, February 2". Prior to the departure of H.M.S. New Zealand for India and Australasia, Admiral Viscount Jellicoe was farewelled by the New Zealand High Commissioner (Sir Thomas Mackenzie), at a dinner at Claridgo's Hotel. . During the course of a valedictory speech, Sir Thomas .Atnckenio remarked that their guest was about to go.forth as the representative of the greatest Navy the world had known, with tho record of-unsurpassed achievements behind it, to visit an Empire greater than any sovereign had previously nvjed"Your vrslk," : ho said, turning to Lord Jellicoe,- "will be important in many respects. Perhnps the sqcial side may strain your constitution. When tho first captain of I H.M.S. New Zealand, now Admiral Halsey, visited our hospitable shores, he welcomed hundreds of thousands of New Zealandefs on board. The names of his officers wore on the books 'of 150 clubs. He attended over 100 dinners, and tripped the 'light fantastic' at 75 balls, and last, but by no means least, received a cordial welcome from some of the beautiful Maori maidens in that gem of Now Zealand—the Bay of Islands. Your observing.eye will note the vast unpeopled territory of our Dominions overseas. You will recognise that if these lands are to be retained for the British Crown they must be peopled. You have on the one hand congested population of the Old Country and en 'the other tho enormous areas of unoccupied territory. You will recognise' that the policy of tho Home country should be to attract those who wish to ehiigrate to .the overseas Dominions. Wo must recognise that there is at present" a unrest here, due io many causes, and there is a desire of a very considerable part of the population to go abroad. I believe that the' Dominion 1 represent is tho■ favourite of all overseas countries. It should be the duty of this country, in conjunction with the overseas Governments, to see that every facility is .placed at the disposal ofr those who wish'to go abroad, and on.the part of the overseas Governments' to welcome these splendid men and women who wish to make their homes in other parts of His Majesty's Dominions. By this, process you ! will not lose your population, for these emigrants are missionaries of civilisation, and the good results to Empire will far outweigh what some.may.consider a temporary .loss to thy; country. In New.Zealand wo.re-' quire population of the right description.. We have-suffered severely not only through the ravages of war, but more re : cently owing to the influenza epidemic' The time may come when we may require to organise ;our cwn defences and to do - that our land roust bo peopled, and never in the history of'the. Old Country would you find a finer race of men and w'omen than thoso now desirous of going overseas. There is a vast undeveloped field in New Zealand. The lands could be still more closely occupied,'but our first duty in this respect is, of course, to our cwn people. Industries could be widened, the.woollen industry especially, for it 1-as.already been demonstrated that we ci.n turn out a certain 'class of' goods r.t-a lower price than in 'thefe Old- Land. Seed growing, carpet manufacturing, and many other new industries could be established. I will conclude my • remarks with .these lines from Kipling indicative of .what must be the policy of' the British Em-pire-the'. Old Countryi standing behind us and we to tho extent of our ability assisting the Empiro: ■ ' --•-.

"Also, we will make promise. So long as tho blood endures, I shallkiiow that your good is mine; ye - shall feel that ray strength is yours; In tho day of Armageddon, at tho last • great Hunt of all, That, our house Bland . together and tho pillars do not fa 11.," Lord Jellicoe's Reply. . Lord Jelliooo thanked Sir Thomas Mackenzie for his expressions of good will, arid' said' that oho could not- but realise the great'deeds' of-'New Zeahinders and tho gallant assistance' rendered by tho Dominion during the war. Sir Thomas Mackenzie had mentioned their deeds on shore and the whole world would never forget the inagnificout work that was done on Gallipoli. "It has only been my lot to see <a little of their wcrk in' France." said Lord Jellicoe. "I shall . never forget going • over tho battlefield where the Fourth Army had fought. 1 was filled with amazement at the magnificent work don'o by the New 'Zealand Contingent. I have seen the work on the Ne,v Zealand. No ship in tho ' British Navy has added more lustre to the splendid roll of honour of New Zealand's sons. She was only once Jilt throughout the war, and I attribute this to her ' extraordinary gcod shooting. She hit tho other fellow so hard that he could not hit her.

"The mission I am about to start upon is not an easy one 1 have no misconception of tho task before hie; but I know I shall bi» helped by the people of the Dominion. lam going in a ship that helped to make a good cause sue. cessful' The. only 'thing that strikes me with cdnsternafion is the hospitality mentioned by Sir Thomas Mackenzie, particularly his reference to Maori women. I am informed that Admiral H'alsey, on his visit to New Zealand, made 161 speeches and attended seventy-four bau(iuets. I' hope I shall not be called upon to do that, but if I am I shall do my best. I have not visited Australia or New Zealand previously, but we have taken an enormous amount of, literature on board, and Commodore Drey'er ias, in fact, taken so miich that we have had to leave behind a, portion of the ammunition. I have a feeling that my difficulties are not diminished by not knowing what kind of a world we are going to have in three or four months' time; but it is a great help to me in sotting out on my mission to receive the High Commissioner's hearty greeting, and I wish to thank him for his most kind invitation and for giving me tho opportunity of meeting so many who hold important and high positions in our overseas dominions." ;