THE PRINCE OF WALES.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3648, 8 December 1920, Page 5

THE PRINCE OF WALES.

RECEPTION IN LONDON. Received 8.50 &.m< LONDON, Dec. 7. Large' crowds' line<j tile route and cheered the Prince of Wales during his drive to the Guildhall. Even the Thames Embankment, despite the cold weather, was lined by crowds waiting an hour for his appearance. The traffic was diverted, and policemen were stationed along the whole route at short intervals on both sides of the roadways. The city was a blaze of colour, and the buildings were toeflagged, some flying the Union Jack' and Southern Cross together. The Prince, in the uniform of a naval captain, drove in an open carriage preceded by a guard of mounteds in khaki, with swords drawn, On am- j val, the Prince received a royal salute and was warmly ovationed on entering the library.

Received 10..20 a.m. LONDON, Dec. 7. Those present at the Guildhall included several members' of the Royal family, the whole of the Prince's suite, leading commercial men and financiers of London, the High Commissioners and Agents-General. A Sergeant read an address of welcome in the library. The Prince of Wales, replying, said: "We meet under ,happie? 'efrcuritetamces Ithan <at the time of the coal strike, which necessitated a postponement. You addressed me in the name of the whole city of London, which I, rn common with all my fellow Londoners regard as the greatest city in the world. Distant travel gives me an ever-increasing apprecaltion of its influence and charm, and I find I love it better every time I come back." The Prince, in his speech, thianked Mr Lloyd George for hia presence and speech. Though sorry he wag l not visiting India until 1921, he was dedighted at the prospect of an undisturbed year in the Old Country, "a treat I have not had for six years." The Prince raised a laugh by sayrrig that when aSSan w*a's handsomely entertained it was usually because his hosts wanted to get something out of him. "I know you want to get some account of my latest Empire tour out of me. My impressions are still kaleidoscopic, but I will do my best." He detailed his reception in the West Indies and the achievement of getting the Renown through the Panama Canal, whence he went to Honolulu and Fiji, crossing two oceans' where in every group of islands, the renowned name of British sea captains and explorers made one realise the spirit. of these men of old who had faced uncharted seas in ships not one-six-tieth of the tonnage of a modern bat-tle-cruiser. . When he. reached New Zealand and Australia he felt he had come to the culminating point of the untiring work of the early pioneers, for here were two great nations settled and developing in the very furthest quarter of the globe from their original home. "When I landed at Auckland, the New Zealanders made me feel at home at once. Within five days I had visited the Maori people at Rotorua; a gallant and remarkable race who are not unknown in London. I am grateful to them for gathering in such large numbers' to .greet me. I worked my way clown tre North Island to Wellington, the capital city, where I was specially entertained by Mr Massey and his Government. I spent a week in the Soutn Island touring, and finally crossed tne Otira Gorge and Canterbury Plains' to Christchurch. Thence on to Dunedin and Invercargill, where I almost felt back in Scotland. Auckland's Mntfness and enthusiasm was carried on everywhere. What impressed me was the intensely Old Country character of the people. You have a pretty sound and powerful patriotism here in the city of London, my Lord Mayor, but I assure you you have your work cut out to show it more thornghly'than they did in New Zealand. It was with regret that I sailed from Lyttelton, as a month in New Zealand ; was far too short-P