NEW ZEALAND'S EXPOSITION PAVILION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 82, 7 April 1915, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND'S EXPOSITION PAVILION.

VXIQUE DEDICATION CEREMONY.

(Special to "Star.")

SAN FRANCISCO. U.S.A., March IC.

The authorities of the Panama Pacific Exposition at San Fra-acaco have many vaTred ceremonies in connection with their immense World's Fair, which in the first fourteen days attracted over one million visitore from far and wide. Among these ceremonies is that of the dedication, the meaning of which is that the President of the Exposition meete ■the Commissioner from the given country, and expresses gratification that euch a nation hae participated. The ceremony is attended -with a military guard, and the President presents the Commissioner, who receives a inH'itaTy salute, accompanied with tire iplaying by the ba-nd of the national hymn of the participating country. The Commissioner makes a response, and the President hands over a handsome bronze plaque, engraved with words commemorating , the Panama Pacific ' Exposition. A few otlr*r officials, including usually a dignitary of the official life-of the United States and other perare interested in the countTy, deliyer addrceeeß. The national building is then declared opan, and the public interested in the examination of blie smaller set of exhibits that are displayed in the pavilion are then formally admitted to inspect the building and its contents.

■ For' that of the Dominion of' New Zealand the dedication ceremony was carried out 'before one of the largest crowds of Antipodeane ever eeen in America. The ceremony'was not only varied, but mads decidedly "interesting by' the presence of twenty-eight Maoris, who executed several of their 'characteristic dancee. The dance of the women —that known ac "The 1 ; Pot"—attracted exceptional attention.' Tire afternoon's proceedings natuTally opened -with the band discoursing the Btraine of the national hymn of Gtcat Britain, "God Save the King," the vast. concourse joining in the singing of the melody. Meantime the banners of Great Britain, New Zealand, and the Britieh Allies floated majestically aloft from the "flagstaff of the national pavilion, 'and also from flagpoles at intervale along the main front. The -tricolour of France -wae conspicuous among the flags of the great group of nations who aTe co gallantly championing the cause of freedom in the European-conflict. Commis-sioner-General Edmund Clifton, in the course" of his iremaTks, 6iid: "To the citizens of America we have the deepest eentiment of fellowship, for you are working on the same lince, the aim of all our race—liberty and self-respect. New Zealand's other reason for presence at the Exposition is to exteijd her commercial relations, and these are Teciprocative. We offer food products, wools, and fibres. We receive American manufactured goods, especially every description of machinery, and oils, and fruits. At present the proportion of trade is entirely, in favour, of America, whose exports are greater than the exports 'of New Zealand to the United States."

■<' Ini cpncluiion, f Commissioner • Clifton discoursed on the commercial importance of the-Panama Canal, both to America and the Antipodes. He said the Panama--Pacific-Exposition was-a fitting, commemoration of that, noble : achievement of a'great nation, the' Panama Canal. MAYOR ROLPH EULOGISES THE UNION COMPANY. "The Hon. James Kolph, Mayor of San Francisco, ■ wb"b is ' htniself a staunch Britisher, and head of the branch of the •'Union Steamship- Line, eulogised -New Zealand for its participation in rt.he Gfpat'"'Exposition'.' He showed his intimate acquaintance with the of -New 'Zealand, tracing the.connection .of.America .-with- the Antipodean dominion's shipping interests. The patriot-ism-of New-Zealand, he declared, "was •an example to the world; its sons "were in the battles of - the mighty .ißrit.Uli. Empire;.-its energies and pro-gress-were remarkable. As an example; of this he spoke of the splendid fleet ot thc'Company lie represen.te.at&in Francisco.' It.' was the second largest fleet in- , the -world, and its ships were registered in New Zealand at the home port of Diinedin.' It was an astonishing fact that a,small country, with but a population of one million, should control such a 1 ya*t .enterprise. The Union ships eakie .fully laden with passengers and produce "from thei Dominion of New Zealaffd to Aiuerica. and the food products .carried with, them. the ■ guarantee of the'"highest quality, and further, with even greater satisfaction, these steamers invariably returned to New Zealand laden "to the brim of the hold with the ptqducts of California or elsewhere. In ; the. dual capacity of exposition director md Mayor, :Mr. Rolph. .presented a commemoratiyc. bronze plaque to- Commissioner Clifton. - - SPEECH BY MR. DE AKIN. ■ In response to an,invitation by Commissioner Clifton, Mr. Alfred. be&kin, ex-Premier of Australia, and chief ot ;th'e Australian Panama Commission delfvered'an interesting, address. He dwelt ontheclpse relationship of New Zealand and Australia, on ~ their same lines ot thought, and/on the ideals that both -.countries -were striving to-secure. He mentioned the enterprise that marked the participation of New Zealand and -Australia, who had undertaken, the task ,ptf taking part in ;the Exposition, Although "their .-greatest energies were now being devoted to the assistance of the' Mother.Country. "While in the n?Ld?.fc_ of this strife of Empire," added Commissioner-Deakin, " these countries eoiija • not '■ forego the opportunity of staking part in this great celebratiton of the TanamaJPacific Exposition." i Mr. Deakin told of- the Commonwealth's •pride in .her sister New Zealand's; place in. the, thought of the lead-ers-and rulers.of the democratic nations ofrttoe.world. "She has done much," he eaid, '"and will do more, to nearer together all English-speaking peoples, to make them friends prosperity and generous". eharerg in adversity. We of Australia have -watfched proudly our sister' Dominion on her royal progress to the position, ehe occupies to-day in the,esteein of the world, and the love of that Empire of which she forms a part." He gaveya practical talk upon the advantages, of the great waterway, and prophesied a remarkable period of exI'WW.on Jot all countries' ficin" the Pacific. AN AMERICAN EULOGY. ,Mr. Thomas G. Stallsmith, chief of the Department ■ of Agriculture and I'ood Products at -the Exposition—a department .which' is particularly representative .of New Zealand's development — wae the concluding speaker. He was one of the Commissioners who -visited 'New Zealand a* envoys from the President of the United States. Mr. Stallsmith .spoke-.of .-his visit to New Zealand and of. the utmost hospitality that was exntended to Tniraself ana'his fellow-cor-

missioners there. He wag there in the spring-time, he said, and felt that" there-! was no more fertile country in -tbe > j world than the land displayed to their ; | view.whilst on their journey through the Canterbury plains. They would ever I pleasantly recollect the cordial weleoie . extended to them by the Rt. Hon. ilr. Massey, and they had ever remembered with pleasure the experience they hid of finding that the New Zealand administration had then already decided \to participate with their kinsmen in the .[. ibig world's fair at San Francisco in . 1915. He and his colleagues, in their visit to Rotorua, realised that thatV country was a Mecca for the tourist and „ a haven of blessedness to the afflicted."