Sir John Falconer Visits Rotary at Queenstown

Lake County Mail, Issue 44, 7 April 1948, Page 2

Sir John Falconer Visits Rotary at Queenstown

The Queenstown Rotary Club was honoured on Tuesday last by the visit or Sir John Falconer, former Lord Provost of Edinburgh. Sir John arrived in Queenstown on Tuesday afternoon and was met by the Mayor, Dr W. A. Anderson and entertained at the Tea Kiosk in the Gardens. Sir John Falconer was then invited to the weekly rotary dinner in the Royal Cafe and became the guest speaker. The Mayor formally welcomed the distinguished visitor and spoke of the signal honour that he had conferred in visiting the town. President Ik Robins welcomed Sir John to the club and thanked him for consenting to speak at short notice. In a most interesting address, punctuated with Scotch humour, Sir John said in his visit to New Zealand as the representative of Edinburgh at the Otago centennial celebrations, he greatly appreciated the warm welcome he had received in Dunedin and elsewhere. In turn, he brought with him a message of affection and goodwill from the Homeland. He said: “You have a prosperous country; your fields are teeming with food and flocks and I am here to express our boundless gratitude to the New Zealand people for the parcels you have sent us. Sir John then went on to refer to the difficulties through which they were passing in Britain. They had passed another milestone in the valley of the shadow and he- believed that good is at last coming out of evil and the law of love and righteousness will ultimately prevail; the old way of life was worthwhile. Sir John spoke of the marvellous fighting qualities of the New Zealand soldiers who had helped to bring victory to the Allies, The New Zealand troops were regarded as part of our own kith and kin and the calvary of the human race. ' Sir John referred to the conditions in Scotland. The ravages of war were apparent everywhere, but business was gradually becoming normal. Factories were working in good heart and the steel industry was coming back to its own. Youth was holding its head high and the younger generation was proving itself more resourceful than the older. He spoke of the loyalty of the British people to the King and Royal family. The Royal wedding was ample proof of the affection in which they were held. From their hearts they should sing “ God Save the King.” Sir John claimed that Britain was the corner stone of civilisation and if Britain went down it would mean the end of everything. The responsibility for future leadership in world affairs was in the hands of the British Commonwealth. It was essential that the ties of brotherhood which had bound the nations during the war should be equally strong in peaee.