LORD JELLICOE IN BOHEMIA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 282, 25 August 1919, Page 6

LORD JELLICOE IN BOHEMIA

INSTALLED AS "AN ORPHAN" . AN ENJOYABLE EVENING The Orphans' Club in the Masonic | Hall, Bouleott Street, was en fete, on Saturday evening for the annual korero. ■Tho club's patron. His Excellency the Governor-General, attended, and tho club entertained, its guests of honour, Viscount Jellicoe, his staff, and the officers of H.M.S. New Zealand, Colonel J. J. Esson, C.M.G., occupied the chair, and in opening the proceedings paid a warm tribute to the Governor-General in connection with- the hospital shins Maheno and Marama, whoso work during tho war in the Mediterranean and in running between France and England was a credit to the mind 'which had first conceived such a plan. Ho could remember being in sick bay at Malta, and boing given twenty minutes' -notice of his evacuation, but his joy was great on finding himself on the good ship Ma-< heno, under their own Colonel W. B. Collins, with a host of good New Zealand nurses to look after him. (Applause.) . llis Excellency, responding, introduced to the assembled Orphans liis distinguished guest, Lord Jellicoe, and his officers, and paid a high tribute to the work of the Navy. Neither in this war nor in all the wars of tho past, 6aid His Excellency, could England have achieved what she had were it not for the discipline that had always been maintained in both arms of the Service, and now that the" war was over thev would not be a'ble to enjoy the fruits of peace if that discipline were not > extended to the .community as a whole. (Applause.) The time was drawing near when ha would be leaving this Dominion, and he would like to say ho\4 f very much he had enjoyed the eveniiigs 'he had spent with the Orphans' Club, whioh would he treasured in his memory. Before resuming his scat, His Excellency remarked that he had never been so nervous in his life before as on Friday ovenipg at .the .investiture at Government House, when it was his duty to confer honours on'several very charming ladies. It was with greater confidence he conferred upon Admiral Jellicoe tho (gold) badge of tho Orphans' Club, wMch made him a life member. His Exoellenoy/ then pinned the bndgo on the Admiral's' right breast, amidst rousing applause, which was followed by the choruß "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow," and ringing cheers. . Oolonsl E. J. Collins, 0.M.G., next read a poem, composed'by Mr.. Carwell Cooke, of Wades town, in honour of Lord Jellicoe, a copy of which was handed to tho Admiral. Lord Jellicoe said ho was not going to make an election speech. (Laughter.) He said that on some such occasions to save embarrassment the answer to the compliments was handed to the recipient, and when Colonel Collins had handed him tho paper lie had fondly imagined it to bo tli9 poetic reply he was to make, but found it wis a copy of the original poem —so they would have to lio contcnt with his response in prose. Ever since they had arrived in Wellington they had been cvomvhelmod with hospitality. They had been dined and danced and athleticsported, to such an extent that it was a wonder they could get any of them who had not a pain inside. That reminded him of the captain of a destroyer, who, on one occasion, having tx> put to sea without a medical officer,, found lhat. he had to doctor the crew himself. Asked how ho managed to do it, the •'•aptain said it was easy. He simply tied a string round their waists—if the pain was above it he gave them a plaster, if boiow it a pill. (Laughter.) He thanked His Excellency and thaaolub for the honour they had bestowed upon him in making him a member, and wished the club every success. "Be Prepared!" . Liter in tho evening Colonel Esson accorded a hearty welcome back to the Prime Minister and ■ Sir, Joseph Ward from their momentous and historical work on tho other side of the world. In the course of his reply the Prime Minister spoke interestingly of the Peace Conference in Paris. How they had first conceived that it would be conducted like Parliament, where thev .would all make speeches on every tonic that cropped up; how they found sucli a "method to be utterly impracticable from the start. "You see/' said Mr. Massey, "they don't hold peace conferences every day—the last big ono was at Vienna, over a hundred years ago, after the Napoleonic wars. French was the official language, and whilst all the French speeches had to he interpreted into English and tho English into French it was found to be very awkward when a speech was mado that' was neither in French nor English. That idea was soon abandoned, and a number of commissions or committees was set up to consider oertain questions, and attached to these were armies of understrappers to help the committees and giva advice. The deliberations crystallised in findings or reports, which were handed to the innor council—at flist the Counoil of Ten, and then, when that proved ty.be too many, tho Council of Fivo, and after the row with Italy the Counoil of Four. At tho Conference they had set up a League of Nations, from which much was expected, and he sincerely hoped that much would result from that League. Whilst ho and no one else wished tfl see big standing armies kept up, it was imperative, with tho chain of nations which now composed the British Empire that thov must havo a strong Navy—to keep open the lines of communication between the various countries in the Empire. One of the wisest things said in Paris bv a. man 'very high up—higher oven than Mr. Lloyd George—was that they must havj) large armies and strong navies if peaco was to be kept. He meant that to ensure peace thev must always be prepared for war. England had not been prepared for war, but her Navy was ready to fight, so was her Army. Had it not been for the readiness of the Navy they might not be where they wero that day. Lord Jellicoe, ho knew officially, was here on a very important mission concerning naval defence in tho Pacific, and they were prepared to help him in every way. No naval man believed that tho last war had been fought. They all knew of the dangers ahead. He (lid not mean to say that it would come next week, next month, or even in the present generation, but Whenever it did occur they must bo prepared. Mention had been made of the need of discipline. Many had imagined that wo were going to emorge from tho war into a new heaven and a new earth, but that was not so; nor would it ever bo so. What tlioy had got to do was to work hard and strive to keep the lyoiid right,, and preserve the happiness and prosperity of the people, and to do that he, for one, was prepared, to do all in his power -to put down anything in tho nature of anarchy, sedition, or disloyalty. (Applause.) Sir Joseph Ward said that they had in Lord Jellicoo a man who would be honoured in any ' part of tho World, and on whose sagacity and courage tho whole of the civilised world depended at tho outset of tho war. The assemblage of so many notable peoplo on tho one platform in Wellington was surelv unique, and would bp memorable ill the history of tho Orphans' Club. Finally there was another vociferous demonstration in honour of Lord Jellicoe and his officers, to which, on tho call of tho Admiral, the_ officers responded lustily, concluding with three hearty British cheers for tho club, the Admiral solus giving the "Hip-hip-hip," and tho officers coming in with a fullbodied "Hurrah!" It was a great night for tho Orphans. '

THE MUSICAL PROGRAMME. , The musical programmo and its performance touched n high standard. A eplcndiclly-disoiplined orchestra, under Orphan H. Moschini, played (ho brilliant: "Raymond" overture with fine tono and precision, and in the sccond part played a Brahm's. "Hungarian Dance" and the "Devil's March" (usually introduced into "La Mascotte"). Orphan Rupert Meatcs sang "The Gallant Salamander" (Barjietl), and as an encore sang in fino style, "Drinking." Orphan John Parker piayed a cleverly-written cornet solo hi superb style, showing nvuch of his oldtime brilliance of execution and tone. lie was encored. Orphan W. Goudie sang tastefully, "Rolling Down to Rio" and "My Fairest Child." and Orplwn Herbert F x Wood contributed "Rule, Britannia"

(with chums) in the proper spirit, and, doubly oncored, sang "Tnke a Pair of Sparkling Eyes" (from "Tlio Gondoliers") and "I Lovo You in Velvet." Orphan G. Holloway played Qreipf's barbaric "lUareh of the Dwarfs"; Mr. Hamilton Hodges, in admirable form, sang "Who Keeps the Sea?" "Loch Lomond," and "Coming Homo"; and Orphan Cnlford Bell recited "Allen, tho Boy Busier," a tale of an incident of 'tho Maori War in tho Hntt Valley, very well written and convincingly .recited. As an -encore tho Cockney verses "Napoo" were quaintly recited. Finally the Orphans' Glee Party so.ng tho partsons "In Absence." The evening concluded with the singing of tho National Authemf,