THEIR EXCELLENCIES' VISIT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 September 1941, Page 7

THEIR EXCELLENCIES' VISIT

CIVIC RECEPTION YESTERDAY AFTERNOON Municipal Hall Crowded WARM AND SINCERE WELCOME FROM DISTRICT RESIDENTS ADDRESSES BY REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS The civic reception tendered to his Kxcellenct the Gotei-nor-General, Sir Cyril Ncwall and Lady Newall in the Mnnicipal Hall, Mastertoii, yesterday alTernoon was attended by a particularly large gat Imring of the public, so much so that, the seating aceommoda I ion teas ipiite inadoipiale and some hundreds were unable to gain admit lance. It was a sinking and sincere welcome to their Excellencies on the occasion of their first official visit Io the district. . Those on the platform, besides their Excellencies, Sir Cyril Newall and Laclv Newall, Wing Commander 11. C. Bevan, Military Secretary,' and Captain C. d. Holland-Martin, Aidc-de-Canip, were the Mayor, Air T. Jordan ami the Mayoress. Mrs Jordan, the chairman of the Mast(*rlon County Council, Mr b. E. Gordon Lee and Airs Lee, Air -I. Roltertson. AI.P., and Airs Robertson, and the Town Clerk, Air G. I. G Hara Smith. On the arrival of the Vice-Regal party the Alasier!on Municipal Band played the first six bars oi “God Save the King, and Maureen Lee, daughter ol Air and Airs Gordon Lee, piesented a bouquet to Lady Newall. Aitor the reading ol the loyal address by Mr Jordan and his Excellency’s formal reply, addresses were' given by Messrs Jordan, Lee and Robertson. Sir Cyril Newall then 'replied and the gathering concluded with the singing of the first and third verses ol God Save the King.”

HIS EXCELLENCY’S REPLY Sir Cyril Newall. making a formal reply to the loyal address read by the Mayor, Mr Jordan, on behalf of the local bodies and people of the district, said: “Mr Mayor, her Excellency and I are most grateful foi* the welcome you have given us on behalf of the Borough and County of Masterton. As his Majety’s representative. 1 deeply appreciate your expression of loyalty to the King and Queen. The example of courage and devotion they have set in the present conflict is indeed an inspiration to all their peoples. I must thank you, too, for your kind reference to my own service. It is a proud privilege to be able to serve this Dominion and the British Commonwealth of Nations, the more so at a time like the present when so many gallant New Zealanders have sacrificed everything for the Empire’s cause. I can assure you that I will do everything that is in my power to further that cause and towards the victory on which the future of civilisation depends. With you I pray that that victory may not be long delayed and that it may prove the foundation of a just and lasting peace.” MAYOR’S ADDRESS “May it please your Excellencies: You have this morning travelled on the trail that was first blazed in all its difficulty less than 90 years ago,” said Mr Joi dan. “It was the achievement of a stout-hearted, indomitable Englishman named Joseph Masters. Alone, save for his trusty pack-bullock, he dared to climb the ranges and try what lay beyond. In his wake there came a band of equally stout-hearted men and women, resolved to make for themselves and their families a home amid the native forest in this district. Their dangers and privations were many and exacting but they brought with them qualities of patience, endurance, mutua 1 understanding and cooperation that made light of all their dangers and privations and we are here to testify how well they succeeded. To their credit stand the settlement of Masterton and the development of the Wairarapa. These same qualities characterised all their relations with the generous and chivalrous natives that they found here and it is to the lasting glory of both races that the early history of the district is unstained by any serious dispute between them. During last year, the year of this Dominion’s Centennial, here in this hall we paid a tribute of respect and admiration and of gratitude to these men and women who followed Masters over the hill. INSPIRATION TO DOMINION. “They po: sonified to us tne dignity and joy of hard work and the happiness that springs from I he consciousness of a task well done,” Mr Jordan continued. “We have been singularly fortunate in our early settlers. It has been said, indeed, that we live in the Fortunate Isles. Let me say with all due respect but in all sincerity that in nothing have we been more fortunate chan in the line of distinguished men and women that have come to us by Royal command (applause) and we rejoice that in you our good fortune still continues (applause). In a few short months you have both gain- ; ed the confidence and affection of your people (applause). You have already ’ become part of our young life and yet ■ retained the great qualities of leadership and inspiration that are invaluable to a young country, particularly in the hour of its gravest peril. Of recent years we have been honoured in your high office with men of con- , spicuous achievement in the older ser- . vices, the Navy and the Army. .We ■ welcome you, Sir, as the first of a now • line, shall I say the Knights of the Air’(applause). Wo welcome you as the gallant leader of the Hurricanes and Spitfires (applause) and we desire to take this opportunity of expressing to you our admiration and ‘ pride in the remarkable service that ’ you have personally rendered to your 1 country (applause), and tnrough you to pay tribute to the heroic force that you have so successfully built up. We are proud too of the contribution that pilots from this Dominion and from this district have been able to make to the list of their thrilling exploits. i The 8.8. C. announcer said this morni ing that the leader of the detachment t of the R.A.F. in Russia was a New ; Zealander, called Isherwood (applause). r “Your visit today is necessarily short,” ■ said Mr Jordan, “but we are sensible l of the honour and privilege you have I given us and we hope that 1 you will II have other opportunities to see some- , thing of this district and to judge J, our claim that it is one of the most •' beautiful districts in a beautiful 3 country (applause). May I, on behalf

of this town, express the hope that your stay amongst us will be full of interest and happiness for you both and your family (applause) and that under your leadership this country may soon once more enjoy the blessings of a real peace.” (Applause). COUNTY CHAIRMAN “I feel it a great privilege that we should have this opportunity of meeting in person and welcoming to our town and district, their Excellencies, Sir Cyril and Lady Newall,” said Mr Gordon Lee. “We warmly appreciate the honour of welcoming his Excellency as his Majesty the King’s representative, and we are indeed proud that so distinguished a man has been sent to New Zealand as our Governor-General. (Applause.) Since the arrival of their Excellencies in this country, we have been waiting in anticipation of an official visit to this the Wairarapa district and Masterton, in order that we may express our loyalty to the Throne and devotion to the British Commonwealth, and to the principles of democracy for the defence of which we are now at war. May I be permitted to say. ladies and gentlemen, that no better proof could be given that the British Commonwealth of Nations is moving with the times than by the appointment of his Excellency as Governor-General of New Zealand, who. until recently, was Chief of the British Air Staff and Com-mander-in-Chief of the Royal Air Force. (Applause.) There is a special link between this country and his Excellency in the fact that we have no greater cause for national pride than in the part our New Zealand boys have played, and are playing, in building up the strength and fighting power of the Royal Air Force. (Applause.) ABLE SERVICE. ‘‘Your record. Sir, of able and distinguished service is known throughout the length and breadth of the British Empire,” said Mr Lee. “and we arc all proud to receive you as his Majesty's representative, and in your coming to this fair Dominion of ours, you are the more to be welcomed at a time when the Air Force, with whom you have been long and so intimately associated, has such a great part to play in overcoming the dangers by which the British Commonwealth, indeed all free nations, are surrounded, and in safeguarding peace when it has again been established. ..In these critical days, the presence and guidance of his Excellency will be of the utmost value to New Zealand, not only in directing our general war effort, but in dealing with the questions of defence and security that are raised sharply at present in the Pacific. Whilst the war has imposed large and important alterations in the Dominion’s economic life, I think it can be claimed that New Zealand's achievement in production has been outstanding, and that this, the Wairarapa district, has played its part in assisting to meet the urgent requirements of the United Kingdom. This district is nenowned for its stock, and as president of the Masterton A. and P. Association, I extend to your Excelencies an invitation to be present at our splendid show, which will be held at the beautiful Solway showgrounds in February. 1942. (Applause.) We trust that your Excellencies. during your stay in New Zealand. will enjoy your association with the life and activities of this Dominion, and in conclusion I wish to associate myself with his Worship the Mayor in expressing pleasure at your Excellencies’ visit to Masterton, and assuring you of our loyalty to the Throne.” (Applause.)

MEMBER FOR DISTRICT

Mr Robertson said it was very gratifying to him to have this opportunity, as representative of the district in Parliament, to join in the welcome which was so fittingly given by the Mayor and the chairman of the County Council, to their Excellencies on their first visit to Masterton. Their Excellencies, he was sure, would realise from the numbers there that day and by the heartiness with which they were greeted that this district was at one with the rest of the British Commonwealth in maintaining the traditions of the Commonwealth and British people and all joined in their grave times, hand in hand, in their efforts to win the war and hoped that in the not distant future, real and lasting peace would be with them. Stating that their Excellencies were here as representatives of his Majesty the King, Mr Robertson went on to say that the people of New Zealand were ever given to express their admiration for the splendid examples being set to them by the King's representatives. (Applause). The maintenance of a monarchy in the British. Commonwealth was always a puzzle to a great many of their neighbours in j other countries. They could not underI stand how the people could be so de-

mocratic and at the same time have deeply-imbred in their hearts and souls that sense of loyalty that all possessed to the King and Queen. It was undoubtedly unique in history, it was part of the genius of the British people to make an efficient compromise. It seemed an extraordinary anomaly to these neighbours that while Britain maintained a monarchy she stood at the forefront of all democracies of the world. There Britain stood and was being tried as she had never been tried before and might still be tried in the next year or two. They in New Zealand felt that they were heart and soul with the great Commonwealth. As Britain stood. New Zealand stood; her fate was their fate. They were irretrieveably bound up to each other and New Zealand would not be wanting in this struggle in its efforts to win the war, whatever was ahead (applause). PART IN BUILDING R.A.F. Some reference had been made, said Mr Robertson to the distinguished men with whom they had been favoured in the past as the King’s representatives. They had had distinguished soldiers and sailors and now they had a distinguished representative of the newest and tremendously important arm of defence services of the Commonwealth. the Air Force, which was a vital factor in the conduct of the war. Sir Cyril Ncwall had played a very big part in building up the Air Force in the past. They welcomed their Excellencies and believed that their stay in New Zealand would be a pleasant one, even in the difficult times in which they were living, and hoped that before their term was up the peace would be won. A report of his Excellency's reply appears on page 5.