SALUTES AT SEA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 May 1939, Page 8

SALUTES AT SEA

THEIR MAJESTIES’ VISIT TO AMERICA ESCORT & NAVAL FAREWELL. LINER TO CARRY WHITE ENSIGN. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.47 a.m.) RUGBY, May 5. The King has directed issue of letters patent under the Great Seal ol the Rea]m delegating to the Councillors of Staje the Royal function during his absence in Canada and the United States. The councillors of state, to whom Royal functions may now be delegated, are her Majesty the Queen, the Duke of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, the Princess Royal and Arthur of Connaught.

The Empress of Australia sails with the . Red Ensign at her ensign mast, but immediately their Majesties board her tomorrow afternoon this flag will be hauled dowm and replaced by the White Ensign. It is believed that this is the first occasion on which a merchant vessel has flown the White Ensign when not commissioned. The Empress of Australia is flying the White Ensign because it is the only flag which, from the point of view of etiquette, can be worn with the Lord High Admiral’s flag, which will be flown from the liner’s fore masthead. In addition, she will have the Royal Standard at her main masthead and the Canadian Pacific house flag at her jackstaff, a fact which is accepted as a great compliment. The battle-cruiser Repulse will join the escort cruisers Southampton and Glasgow for the first part of the journey. Later she will take farewell of the Royal ship and return to duty near home. The Southampton and Glasgow will continue to escort the Empress of Australia across the Atlantic.

Early tomorrow morning the flagship Nelson will lead the units of the Home Fleet to sea from Portland' to salute their Majesties. With the Nelson will be her sister ship Rodney. The Ark Royal will also be with the Fleet and her squadrons of aircraft will dip in salute as they fly in formation by the Empress of Australia. The cruisers Newcastle and Sheffield, sister ships oi the escort cruisers, will be in the lines through which their Majesties will pass. The Aurora, flagship of the RearAdmiral commanding the destroyers, will lead ten destroyers in line. As their Majesties say goodbye to the receding shores of England, the Navy will salute them with the long rumble of their guns firing the Royal Salute. The Repulse is not likely to go far, but her presence will lessen to some extent the disappointment of her officers and crew and add impressiveness to the departure of the Royal party. The King presided at a meeting of. the Council and cleared up matters in preparation for his departure. It is officially announced that the Queen must be included in the Council of State under the Regency Act, 1937, even though she is to be absent in Canada.

The signatures of any two members of the council are requisite to regularise documents. It is the Council's duty to do any matter or thing appearing necessary and expedient in the interests of the safety and good government of the realm, including Ord-ers-in-Council and documents concerning State affairs submitted by the Secretaries of State.

The Council’s powers exclude the dissolution of Parliament, the granting of peerages and the bestowal of honours, for which reason the birthday honours on June 8 must be sent to Canada for the King’s approval. The last Council was during King George the Fifth’s illness in 1928 and 1929. It included the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chamberlain and the Lord President.