"DISAPPOINTED."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 233, 1 October 1937, Page 11

"DISAPPOINTED."

DOMINION'S LOYALTY.

MR. SAVAGE IN DEFENCE. OATH BEFORE THE KING. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. A spirited reply to the remarks made by Mr. J. Hargest (National, Awarua) about the loyalty of New Zealand was given by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, in the House to-day, when replying to the discussion on the In;j>erial Conference proceedings.

Mr. Savage said there was one thing that he was bound lo rc-ply to, and that was the reference made by the member for Awarua, who expressed disappointment "that there is no pledge of New Zealand's loyalty to the Throne . . ."

"I wonder what the member for Awarua really meant'/"' asked Mr. Savage. "Could there be any two meanings about it? Was it a reflection on me? I have a book of clippings here from the great English newspapers, and I can see very little more in the headings except references to the loyalty of New Zealand to the Crown. These are taken from some of the greatest British newspapers, and they are not Labour papers, either. To look at them you would think that I was talking about nothing else. Curiously enough I have come back here to discover that the member for Awarua is disappointed that loyalty had not been mentioned.

"Before T was off the boat I got generous headings in the English newspapers. Listen to this: 'One of the first things which Mr. M. J. Savage, first Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand, did on his arrival at Southampton to-day was to express the loyalty of his ]>eople to the King. His words, given in an interview with a reporter, were: "I take this opportunity of affirming the high importance attached to the Throne by the people of New Zealand, and their sense of personal loyalty to the King."

"That statement," continued Mr. Savage, "can be found in all the principal newspapers in England. Scotland and Ireland. I had not even touched English soil when I made that. The last time I talked about it was when I wajs given the Freedom of the City of London. That was the last public opportunity T had. "

Mr. W. J. Poison (National, Stratford) : I don't think that the member for Awarua cast anv doubt on that.

Mr. Savage: What was it all about, then ? I took the oath 20 years ago as a city councillor, and I have taken it at every Parliament since, until 1935. when I was sworn in hv His Majesty's representative here. The la«t time I took the oath it was conferred on me by His Majesty .himself at Buckingham Palace. Tam bound to say that grave doubts were cast on my personal feelings.

Mr. Poison: That is not fair. There was no suggestion of that.

Mr. Savage: I am just an ordinary individual, and T understand the meaning of words. It was St. Paul. T think, who said that when he was a child he spoke like a child, thought like a child and acted like a child, but when he became a man he put aside childish things. I will leave it at that.