WAS WELCOME ADEQUATE ?

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 89, 15 April 1913, Page 5

WAS WELCOME ADEQUATE ?

PLAT AHD UNEXCITING A FEW AFTER-THOUGHTS. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, this day. Some aspects of the welcome given to the battle-cruiser New Zealand upon her first vieit to (the Dominion's capital city seem to have caused regretfμl qualms here. Saturday's' weather was very forbidding, and the high wind made it difficult to carry out 'the harbour arrangements in the epick and epan way desirable. SILENT GUNS. The breeze and the grey clouds could not, of course, have interfered -with joyous ealutes of welcome from .the fort, but there were none. The battle-cruiser i passed Fort Ballance and an outer de- I •fence on her way up the. harbour entrance, but no sound of welcome came •from that quarter. The "N.Z. Timee" says: "The man-o'-war's guns are eaid ■fco have heen in readiness to respond, hut hearing nothing they remained silent. The harbour procession was somewhat of a scramble till the flotilla was halfway past Evans Bay., The crowd 'on the wharves and along the shore only wanted a lead ,to express their Jubilation and enthueiaem. Whatever might be the inmost feeling of citizens, tlie welcome wae ] in many important respects flat and un- i exciting. Tie, occasion was worthy of more outward demonstration, more, evidences of joyous goodwill and pride than were shown. It was'an eminently heavy reception that eschewed fireworks and | noise as possible offenders against good taste. The whole business," adds the "Times," . "reminded an onlooker of a royal progress' through Scottish' burghe, where the inhabitants are noh-commit'tal in 'their demonstrations of, welcome." • This deficiency in the reception, when mentioned to the Prime Minister, drew a response "that the whole of the; arrangements in connection with the reception of the New Zealand were made in accordance .with the requests of the Admiralty as transmitted through liis Excellency the Governor. He was not in a position to discuss the question of firing of aalutce by the foris. THE GOVERNOR'S ABSENCE. The inability of 'his* Excellency the j Governor to attend Uie principal event* associated with the veesel's visit to,the capital is deplored by the "Dominion." which remarks: "The .'British Navy ie one of the strongest links wiich bind •bhe people of the oversea Dominions to the Motherland. Moreover, it is the King's Navy, and it is only in accordance with .the.fitness of things that the King's representative should take the leading part,in the welcome to New Zealand's gift ship"'at its first port of caH in the country." . -.Tonight's "Poet" contains an explanation, its source not indicated, to the effect tl)-,it hie Excellency's absence dp-, pcare to be thatthe <kite •of the arrival of the warship~was changed "more than once, and that during the intervals Irs Excellency had entered into engagements a-t Auckland and Rotoruia (riotaHy a reception iby' ■the Arawa tribe) which had been more* than once subject fco .-', , ' . "■ ... . . _ In view of .the above facte it appeare •that hie Excellency considered it his duty to keep the engagements he made, more especially in view of. the fact that for ■the present his headquarters are at •Auckland, and that anything:beyond a flying visit to Wellington to meet the capt:iin of tlie: warship, on hie arrival in New Zealand would entaal very considerable expense. .'■ >, ■ ■; • ;. "

So -far, owing no doubt to the unfavourable, weather, the ship has not beeii thronged with visitors, hut there are busy times ahead of officers and men in the way of entertainment. Capt. Halsey ■informed mc yesterday afternoon that it was already a difficult matter to fit everything in. with the dates available.