A WONDERFUL WELCOME

Hokitika Guardian, 30 January 1926, Page 2

A WONDERFUL WELCOME

LORD ALLENBY’S VISIT. WELLINGTON, Jail. 23. A welcome wonderful in its enthusiasm was tendered Lord and Lady A lien by by the Mayor ami Councillors, representatives of the Government. of the judiciary and civic bodies, returned soldiers and a great gathering of citizens at the ’Town flair at noon to-day. The hall and platform "as decorated gaily with the Hags of the allied nations and greenery with, as a central decoration, a. great silken fniou Jack. As Lord and Lady AHenhy entered the hall the organ pealed out, hut for a moment only was it heard, and then applause and cheering drowned its music. Louder cheering followed again when the Mayor, “to really liven everyone up,” as he remarked, (ailed for cheers for the visitors. Arming those upon the platform were the Mayoress, the Hon J. A. Y'oung (Minister o r Health), Sir James Parr t. ter of Education and PostmastcrCenci •;•!/. Hon F. J. Rolle.xton (Minister of Defence), Sir Robert Stout. Sir Jmmjih Ward. Mr Justice Reed, Mr Jo-lb" .MrGregor, Rev. IT. van Stavern, members of the City Council . : ;itnfives of Government Dep.-sf Ufier.U and local bodies. Apologia. for unavoidable absence were anmmmed the Hon W. Downie r (S' .Genera]). the Hon \ U .'J’f'O't Minister of Lands). . .'.Minister of Fm- • ’? e oher. Chairman of •he o rfsr err Board). A r <■■■, of g.-ertin v was read i it' tn roe Mini M'ers’ A iation. The Mr cor. in :i i> course of his raid. This i.s no* the time or t.n rehearse the great ad," u. of t-ttr gne-xi:, ? men say. how- " er, that we konvTff him to-day as one of the Empire’* greatest men. (Great applause) on'- who rose to the o'eioion v.hen his country was in most need, one who was entrusted with a momentous task, and one upon whose judgment so many lives would depend. both friend and foe. I believe I may reasonably say that the wide world is indebted to Lord AHenhy for tho broad vision and conspicuous wisdom displayed by him in carrying out his gigantic trust. The Mayor concluded by paying a glowing tribute to Lady AHenhy and wishing both visitors a pleasant time in the Dominion. The Hon F. J. Rolleston, who spoke briefly a s representative of the Government, said that all reineml>ered with pleasure and gratitude the great services rendered to the Empire by Lord AHenhy during the war, and it was especially gratifying to him that his first public ministerial act was to join in welcoming so eminent a .soldier.

Speeches also were delivered by the Chief Justice, Councillor H. ]). Bennett and Mr \\. Pascoo, on behalf of the returned soldiers. Lord Allenhv rose to reply amidst great applause. Ho said that since his arrival in New Zealand he had pleasure in meeting very many * " those gallant warriors who carried | through the campaign in Palestine and I -Syria. He hoped to meet many more j before he left the country. He had I only been in the Dominion about | thirty hours, hut lie had seen suffi- | eivnt to say that it was a land which should breed heroes. Ife did not think lie had ever seen better prodiets of a hero-growing land than the warriors from this country with whom he had the honour to Ik* associated in the Great War.' (Applause). They were worthy of their mother country, and their mother country was worthy of them. He was sure tho Dominion would go on turning out men of the same stamp, men who would make New Zealand a great nation, as she wa.s intended by Providence to become a mighty nation to hold its own and' yet remain a loval unit of the British Empire. The dominions of the British Empire had been hound together more than ever helore hv the stress of the great conflict wo had gone through. The Em--1 ire had been blended in a way that no other experience could give. The war had shown the Mother Country "hat she owed to the Dominions and vice versa, and the dominions had realised what they meant to one another. Hie whole Empire was bound together in one great family. He had lound that the dominating sentiment wherever he had been—and from what little lie had seen of New Zealand ho had found the same feeling as in other parts of the Empire—was loyalQ, not only to the Mother Countrv, but to each other.