A FRIENDSHIP CEMENTED.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 56, 7 March 1921, Page 6

A FRIENDSHIP CEMENTED.

BETWEEN BELGIUM AHD W.Z. A DISTrSTrLTSH'ED VIFTTOR. Auckland is honoured by the presenc? of one wno endured the bitterest! strupsrles of Belgium in the early days j of the war. wrth his finder upon the; pulse of the lttle country—M. Segaert.j the BeUrian Consul for Xew >outh Wales. Queensland and Xew Zealand.j who is payin? bis first visit to this city. J jM. Sesraert has been in Xew Zealand for: six weeks only, during which time he has made a comprehensive tour of the South Uland. While he wa* in Wellington, he fulfilled his spec'al mission from the Belirian Hovfrnment to invest S-he| Prime Minister with the order of Orand I Officer of the Brlgaii '"riven. ,1, a t-kem of the rl-eep gratitude for the relief sr>p-. piied duri-ng the war. Apart from duty, he i- making an irK)n>y into the! convmPTcial possibilities of Xew Zealand, | in orJ'er to promote a better understand-' in?, financial and amicable, between thp! two countries. "They aprpreciate so; much all that you have done for them,"j he stated, in the course of an interview j this morning, "that they are anxious j to hear more about you. It i-s only since the war t';at they have realised your position in the world to-day." M. personal record is of] interest. At the outbreak of the war j Ihe was employed in the Foreign Office 'at Brussels, but lie saw a good deal of active serv'ce as a staff-captarn. He I was coon recalled to the Foreign Office in Havre and sent fo tl;e Belgian Legation in London. He n- there in clofe association with Sir Thomas Mackenzie. j whom he has since visited under more peaceful circumstances. In 1916 he wasi sent, out to the Belgian Conjro, where: he spent two years among the Belsrivn and English soldiers fighting there. He was sent to England on leave, being ; there when the armistice was signed. ' and srt off post-haste to Brussels, passing through Belgium at its worst time. He reports that the country has made enormous strides in rehabilitation, w'n'ch is to tlie vast satisfaction of the people. M. Segaert is deeply impres-sed with ] the possibilities of Xew Zealand, espeoi-i ally vf a strong encouragement of invm'-, 1 gration Jje kept up. He emphasises that ■ our first need is for papulation: indusf j tries and intensive cultivation vrill j follow. In reply to a question upon the I ■ Belgian atttude in regard to emigra- , | tion, he states that they look upon it - i with a more friendly eye than in the ■ J pre-war days. "The climate in Xew | Zealand and its methods of agricv.ltur? I are closely akin to those in my land. , ' ( J he ears, "and I hear that a few- of my countrymen who have settled here are doing well. 1 hope to see them, and I am to make an informal inspection of yorrr most important industries. I am to meet the City Council and the ' Chamber of Commerce on this informal