"BON VOYAGE."

Auckland Star, Issue LI, 24 May 1920, Page 8

"BON VOYAGE."

LOYALTY AND DEVOTION.

PREMIER'S REPLY TO THE PRINCE'S

MESSAGE.

The» Prime Minister has replied as follows to the farewell message received from the Prince-of Wales;; —

"On behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand I desire to-ex-press our loyal and heartfelt appreciation .■ of the farewell message received your-Royal Highness on the eve of your departure from New Zealand.

-- "The welcomes in all partß of the Dominion extended to your Royal Highness jince your arrival have come straight Jrom the hearts of the people. The citizens of New Zealand, both pakeha and-Maori, share with you regret that your stay in this country has been too short, to enable you to see many places where your welcome would have been as warm as in those which you have been able to visit. Your notice of the fact that New Zealand is a land of equal opportunity for all and an example that the British race may undertake the colonisation of a country without tice to its original inhabitants is a tribute to the pioneer settlers and founders of our Dominion.

"The people of New Zealand thoroughly appreciate the message you have sent them, and on their behalf I beg to assure you that the opinion you have formed from your visit rega;ding their loyalty to the Crown, the Empire and British ideals is well founded, lour message has been published throughout the Dominion, and 1 can assure you that its is heartily appreciated by our people, and especially by the returned soldiers and women of New Zealand, and that nil those bereaved in the Great War -will in particular treasure the words of farewell that you have addressed to them. Our territorials and cadets will also gratefully read your appreciation of them. With your Royal 'Highness, the/people of New Zealand have been impressed by the splendid gatherings of school children who have assembled to pay their respects to you. We aTe glad to think that in them lies a continuance of the race which will act up to the ffighest traditions of that unrepentantly British character to which you have referred.

"We rejoice to know you have felt so much at home among us, and your assurance that you are a true New Zealandcr in heart and one of our own kith and kin has strengthened our affection for you. On behalf of the Dominion-1 can assure your Royal Highness that should the occasion arise there will be the same response from New Zealand as was given in tho last five strenuous yearb. New Zealand' sincerely wishes you ';bon voyage' and a safe return to the Homeland, where we trust you wiH not fail to convey our assurances of loyalty and devotion to His Majesty tho King and his Royal Consort, to both, of whom our hearts go out in sincere affection and jespiect." ■Hie • Prime illiniater has received an autographed photograph of the Prince 1 of Wales, in the uniform of a naval captain. The portrait is enclosed in a handsome silver frame, upon which the Prince of Wales' arms are inscribed. It waafomdjßd^-Tn>-Mg : Hn«^