CIVIC LUNCHEON

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 281, 23 August 1919, Page 8

CIVIC LUNCHEON

TO ADMIRAL VISCOUNT JELLICOE

AND H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND'S

OFFICERS

TRIBUTE' TO LIEIIT.-COMiIIANDER

SANDERS, V.C.

The Mayor and • City Council tendered to Admiral Viscount Jellieoe a.ud his staff, and tile officers of tile New Zealand a civic- luncheon in tho Grand Hotel yesterday.

In proposing the health of the guest of honour, tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) said that Ito, was sure that all would join with him in extending a very hearty welcome to their distinguished guest, Admiral Viscount Jellieoe. (Applause!) They prided themselves on being a. race of the sea. They all remembered tho splendid spirit of the officers of' the Navy and, associated with them, the officers 1 and men of the mercantile marine. (Applause.) They remembered that tho Now Zealand had played an i important part in the great war. The i Admiral had told them the other day that the vessel had fired many rounds j and had only been hit twice, from which he gathered that she had a groat charm. His' Worshi- explained how very repre- ! sentative tho gathering "was, ana emphasised the heartiness of tho welcome I they wished to accord His Excellency [ ami his officers, more particularly when j they remembered how- - hospitably their | boys had been treated in England. For I that and tihe services they had rondercd ! he' thanked them from the bottom of bin j heart. (Applause.). . ■ In beginning his speech in reply, Lord .Tellicoe said: "Your Worship, the Eight Hon. the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward." then, effectively pausing for a moment, continued—"l am not in politics. and I hope you will forgive mo, for when we arrived in New Zealand there was a Coalition Government, and thereI fore I bracket the Prime Minister and I Sir Joseph Ward in responding to the I toast." The toast, he noticed, was conI fined to his own name, but he was sure | that it really meant tho British Navy, I whose representative he was for the I moment, a position he was very proud to | hold. According to the programme orig- ; inally arranged, H.M.S. New Zealand was i to have arrived a month before, he did, in which case Captain Leggntt would have been speaking for the Navy. . It was a privilege he was sorry he had deprived Captain Leggait of, and hoped that he would yet have the opportunity of standing up in his (the Admiral's) nlace. Ho had spoken on tho day ho arrived at the Town of the deeds of the New Zealand during the war, but ho had not then ';old the names of tho cantatas of the ship since she was Inst here, and desired to remedy the omission. l'irst there was Sir Lionel Halsey (now Admiral)— (applause)—who was a verv old friend of Now Zealand, arid of whom he might say'that there was 110 greater admirer of New Zealand, including New Zealanders themselves. (Laugnter and applause.) Such was Sir Lionel's admiration for New Zealand that, lie had been pressing bim_ for tho last four years to come and live here,' and although he had only been here two days, he had concluded that the advice was extremely sound. (More laughter and applause.) When Sir Lionel visited the Dominion in H.M.S. _ New Zealand he was showered with gifts of plate and mascots. Somebody had donated a tiki, which was to be worn by the captain whenever the ship went into action, and lie had it from Sir Lionel's own lins that he wore it round his neck; and Captain Leggatt, lie knew, only took it off when j he came ashore. It was still on board, the New Zealand. Then there was tho kiwi mat. which Sir Lionel also insisted on wearing. He had left it on board, but one of his successors took it. That officer had worn it—even in August—in the conning .tower (which was always a warm spot).' Captain John Green (now Admiral Green), who was in charge at Jutland, did his best to carry out tho the traditions,, but being >0 slim in figure as Sir Lionel, found that the mat would not meet —(uproarious laughter)—still bo went .through .with it. . Captain John Green was a. very worthy member of the service. Ho was in. charge of. the gunboat Pigmy, which had six 1-inch guns, and was operating arrainst the Shanghai-quon forts, with their big 12in. guns, but he went in and silenced .the lot of them, ever since which time lie was known as the Duke of Sliangliai-quon. (Laughter and applause.) Next came Captain (now Admiral) Richard Webb, who was closely connected with New Zealand, having a brother living within GO miles of Wellington. Captain Webb was the man who founded the Trade, Division of the Admiralty .War Staff. Every shipowner had heard of; the extreme value of his 'work, as. to him fell the responsibility of laying out the routes., -ships should take. He was a man who had emerged from the war with the respect and esteem of the whole of tho shipping community of Great Britain. Next in succession was Captain Donaldson, to whom fell the lot of escorting the German High Sea Fleet to their last home after the most ignominious surrender —a surrender from which 'the German Navy would never recover. (Applause.) Itis Worship had mentioned tlis work of tho mercantile marine in the war. There was no man in tho British Navy .who was.not as proud as he could bo of the cousinship—he might almost say brotherhood—which now existed between the mercantile marine and tho Navy. (Applause.) They had earned the unstinted admiration of the officers and men of the British Navy, and tliey would go down to history in clouds of glory. Officers and men from the mercantile marine had come to till up the gaps in the Navy. One shining example was tho late Lieutenant-Commander Sanders, V.C!., when in charge of a 'decoy ship 'Which bad only been commissioned « week, was attacked by a submarine, and who acted, with the greatest gallantry that earned the highest admiration possible—the admiration of his enemy—and he, as First Lord of the Admiralty, had had tlie' pleasure of recommending to His Majesty that he should be awarded tho V.C., and that all tho honours possible should be conferred upon tho crew of his ship. When the German captain of tho yiibmarine (who was taken prisoner) was' examined by u Naval Intelligence officer in tho usual way to sec what could be got out of him, "tho prisoner, who was a lino fellow—for a Germail—said ■ JlO could never. have believed that any., navy in tho world could produce such discipline as to stand the shelling which he had given H.M.S. Prize without returning the lire until tho submarine was so close as to inako it possible for them to shoot and sink the submarine. Even in that case four of the crew of tho German submarine got home. Tho captain thought it had sunk, as it went down under him. The conning-towor was bloirn off with the first shot, and tho 4-inch gun and crew went, with tlie next, yet despito that tho submarine got home, which showed that the latest impioved submarines had the life of tho proverbial cat. And tho officer of tho submarine who got her homo was the son of an old' friend of his, von Houtsden (who on a former occasion had succeeded him' in command of the allied forces ill the China. war), and he was a. good boy—for a German—for 110 had not lost his ship.

Admiral Jellicoo again reiterated his t.linnks far tlio many courtesies and tlio hospitality extended lo the officers and men. Jle thanked them particularly lor tho club which had been provided fur the men at the Town Hall, and for tho dancing that; was being afforded I hem by the beautiful young ladies of Wellington, appreciated also by the officers, who ho hoped would for tlio moment allow him to expra-'s on their behalf his gratitude. (Applause.)

Tho Mayor then announced that tho Prime Minister would be hoard oh another occasion, and apologised for having to "cut things short," by mentioning that tho Admiral had several engagements to fulfil, and, as business men, most of those present would want to get back to their offices.

Among those present, were tlio Prime Minister (Right Hon. \V. P. Massev), Sir Joseph Ward, Hons. \V. 11. Ilerries and W. (i. Russell, the Mayors of Mirnmar. Karori, Eastbourne, Ilutt, Fntone, and W'anganui, anil prominent representa. fives of tho City Council, llie Church, tlio banks, tho 'legal profession, commerce, tho Education Board, Hospital Board, and many other local bodies and wgauisations. \