ADMIRAL BYRD’S FAREWELL MESSAGE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4445, 29 April 1930, Page 3

ADMIRAL BYRD’S FAREWELL MESSAGE.

Rear-Admiral R. E. Byrd, accompanied by members of his party, left Wellington on Saturday by the Rangitiki for Panama, where they will join the Eleanor Bolling aud the City of New York. In a. iinai message to the people of New Zealand, Admiral Byrd said: — “I would rather say an revoir to New Zealand than good-bye, for 1 am looking forward to coming back again. “There is one thing I have never emphasised, and that is great debt our expedition owes io the New Zealand contingent who ■, olunt eered to get our ships south io us. There was not one of them .vho did not show himself to be a gentleman. They played the game si nd worked as one of us. They were courageous and worked very hard and donfributed! greatly to our success, so that both on the high seas and on laud New Zealand j -laved a big part in the outcome of i.ni* expedition. “On all sides the hospitality has been of an extraordinary nature, so ihat our stay here will always be i,no of the bright spots in our lives. 1 in in inukiug no real statement at this time, only saying that I am sorry indeed to go, and 1 cannot ~ iterate too often" the everlasting gratitude that we feel towards New Zealand. Whenever in the years to come we have the good fortune lo meet up with anyone from New Zealand it will be a red-letter day

for us. “1 have accepted these gestures of friendship as signals of goodwill towards the nation under whose Hag I have been proud to sail, and I can assure the people of New Zealand that that goodwill is most heartily reciprocated by the people of my country. And 1 know that my country men are most grateful for the wonderful way you have received the members of the expedition. I wish specially to greet the boys and girls and to give them my best wishes. *•1 hope and 1 feel that New Zealand and the United States will always stand shoulder to shoulder as cousins and friends, no matter what crisis may strike the world.” The following message to NearAdmiral Byrd was dispatched by His Excellency the GovernorGeneral (Lord Bledisloe) : “On 'behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand, I desire to wish you and your comrades a pleasant yoyage, and to assure you of the great satisfaction your stay in New Zealand lias given us and the welcome which awaits you when you come amongst us again.— (Sgd.) Lord Bledisloe.”