AEROPLANE "NOTTINGHAM."

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 302, 19 December 1917, Page 2

AEROPLANE "NOTTINGHAM."

i • GIFT TO IsEW ZEALAND. LONDON', October 10. An important link between Nottingham • and the overseas Dominions was forged en Saturday, when the aeroplane preBented by the Nottingham Chamber of . Commerce to New Zealand was formally handed over to the representatives of that Dominion. The aeroplane, which has cost £2,000, is to help to form the nucleus of au Imperial air fleet. It bears the name of [ Nottingham, and should it be destroyed • in the present fighting, in which it is to ' take an early iart, it will be replaced at , the close of" the war by another, which will also bear the name Nottingham. The actual presentation took place on the Forest, but before this was reached a • luncheon was given at the Exchange Hall. attended by a distinguished gathering. The High" Commissioner (Sir Thomas Mackenzie) was unable to be present owing to illness. EDUCATING PUBLIC OPINION. The Duke of Portland expressed to the guests the great pleasure it gave him to preside. (Cheers.) He offered the warmest congratulations of the Chamber of Commerce to the Imperial Air Fleet Committee on the steps they had taken to educate public opinion as to the vital importance of aircraft, and he also congratulated the members of the Chamber on tne zeal and rapidity with which they had provided this aeroplane. Six of these aerial units had now been presented, and plans were being proceeded with for a seventh. They had complete confidence in the brilliant future of New Zealand, with which Domfiiion Nottinghamshire could already claim very close tie, because its present Governor was the Earl of Liverpool, who bore the name of Foljambe, a name honoured mis county. .(Applause.) His Grace touched upon the fcravery of the colonial troops, and spoke :with emotion of the courage of tue men from, this city and county. He specially mentioned Captain Bell, whose name ■would never be forgotten as long as Nottingham endured. The most memorable incident of the gathering at the Exchange was when Trooper Clutha Mackenzie, the son of Sir Thomas Mackenzie, accepted on behalf of a fellow-countryman, Capt. Bland, a medal designed by a Nottingham lady for bringing down two Zeppelins. Young Mackenzie was wounded in GalJipoli, and has in consequence lost the Bight of both eyes. On being led forward to receive the medal he was greeted with round after round of cheering. He said that Capt. Bland was unable to be present. Sir James Mills, replying for New Zealand, said it was owing largely to Gustav Hamel and the Imperial Air Fleet -Committee that the eyes of the people were opened to the importance of aircraft. He prophesied that the time was not far distant when the Atlantic would be j bridged by aeroplanes, and that then it ■would be possible to go on by Honolulu and Fiji to New Zealand. He recognised that New Zealand was in this war fighting for her own existence, since if Germany triumphed she would, in her thirst for colonies, take the southern Dominions of Great Britain. He pleaded that after the war the colonies should no longer be regarded as dependencies, but should take their place in the councils of the Empire. Nottingham commercial men must look to their laurels, for after the war they would have to meet the competition of neutral countries as well as of the enemy. An even greater reception was accorded the Duke of Portland when he rose to formally hand the plane over to Lord Desborough, and stated that that gift, and others which were being arranged, were tangible symbols of the ties which united the colonies to the Motherland. With Lord Desborough's acceptance of the gift, the Duchess of Portland, amidst more cheering, performed the namin" ceremony by the simple method of break" ing with a small mallet a bottle of champagne tied to the propeller, and Miss Mackenzie, daughter.of the High Commissioner, attached to the plane a bronze mascot, hearing a representation of the kiwi, toa-ether with the' New Zealand motto, '-Onward." and the motto of the Imperial Aid Fleet, "Heaven's lin-ht our cuide."