ROYAL EMPIRE SOCIETY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 109, 25 May 1937, Page 4

ROYAL EMPIRE SOCIETY

Presidential Message from Viscount Bledisloe "BRITISH PB0PLES AT PEACE" Viscount Bledisloe has become president of the Empire Day Movement in succession to the late Earl Beatty. Mr A. E. Lawry, the honorary corresponding secretary at Napier of the Boyal Empire Society, has received from the pre'sident the following message for publication on Empire Day: "As president of the Empire Day Movement in succession to the late Admiral of the Fleet Earl Beatty, I address you this Empire Day in a spirjt of deep thankfulness to God for the blessings vouchsafed to ua as members of the great British Commonwealth of Nations during a period of almost unpreeedented unrest and uncer-tainty throughout the world. While many nations have been raoked with internal strife and serious econojtnio distress our fraternity of British peoples have remaiued at peace, and trade and industry have shown a steadily-increas-ing prosperity, with a substantial reduction of unemployment. 'The grave erisis wbich reeulted in the accession to the Throne of our present gracious King was faced by all cdasses, races, and parties through--_;at the Empire with a dignity, eeli restraint, and commonsense which have enhaqced its prestige among ihe nations of the world and cemented its internal solidarity in face of a common trial. It has emerged from it with a sense of greater confidence and conscious strength. "Our first duty this Empire Day is to acclaim with loyalty and affection King George the Sixth qnd his charming consort, and to ^vish for the forrner a long and happy reign over a united, prosperous and contented people. We have an Empire spread over a quarter of the surface of the earth, and on it a quarter of the world's inhabitants, Our infhienee and responsihility exceed those of all other nations. Upon our wise leadership and the example which we set jyill depend in large measure the future welfare . and progress of mankind. Let each and all of us with a due sense of our individual respousibility see that our influence is exerted, not only in ihe cause of world peace, but also in promoting all those eauses, social, educational, eeonomic and spiritual, that will • make the world a happier and better place to live in for all races and classes of the cjmn^ruity. "I send you my warmest greetings and best wishes, m the confident hope that during the coming year the pepples of the British Empire may be knit more closely together in affec- ' tion, mutual helpfulness and beneficent world influence by ever-increasing mutual knowledge and s^mpathy. — Bledislpe."