FREEDOM OF BATH

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17206, 25 July 1921, Page 6

FREEDOM OF BATH

MR MASSEY AND MR HUGHES HONOURED. GENEROUS TRIBUTES. ,(Br Cablo—Press Association—Copyagks I (Australian and N.Z. CabU, Awocimtion.) (Received July 24th, 11.5 p.m.) IX3XDON'. July 2g. The Freedom of the City of Bath «u conferred on .Messrs Huglios and Ma* sey. The Mayor and Councillors wel. comed thef visitors at tho railway tt*. tion. Thfqe little girls presented Modames Hughes and Massey, and Mia Masscv, with bouquets. The visitor* then went in procession through gaily decorated streets to the Grand Pusap lloom, where tho freedom waa conferred. The guests included tho Marqui* of Bath, and Viscount I'ltswater (fortfierly the Speaker of tho House, Mr Loir, ther). The Mayor in conferring tho froedo&t said it gave him infinite ploasure to welcome tiie overseas representatives, not only on account of tho statesmanship displayed by them during difficult' j ears, but also because they xvero re* preservatives of a great nation beyond the 6oas. "The freedom," he said, "symbolised tho fact that though we arc separated by thousands of miles, yet we arc all of one stock, under ofie Empire and one sovereign, with the came ideas, policies and iiopes for the fuiture. Wo desiro to remember the heroism and self-sacrifico displayed bj our distant kinsmen during tho war. The time is long past when the colonies were regarded rather as a burden than a bulwark of the Empire, Mr Liotd George recently reminded us that the Dominion's forces turned the scale in tho war and did their share in saviftg the world lrom Kaiserism. Addressing Mr Hughes, tho. Mayor said: "When wo recall Anzac and Gal» lipoli, wo may well ask whether any. thing is impossible to such a nation tfter tho great deeds those names rt> call, nor do we forget that an Austra* lian ship destroyed the Emden. We also remobber what you have done during your Premiership, not only in vanciDg your great Dominion, hot hi helping forward tho great desire Mr permanent peace throughout the world " Addressing Mr Massey, the Mayor ?aid: 'New Zealanders, like their brother Australians, showed us the stuff tiny were made of during the war. It w difficult to express in a few words appreciation tof your stjrvices in the cause of the Empire. You always haw been a fighter, and it is largely dueto your efforts that the people of the Dd* minion threw their weight into the war for freedom We are glad to show in ft slight measure what yonr people hare done for us." . . Mr Hughes and Mr Massey thanked the city for the honour paid, ttiwA them, to their respective countries. Mir Massey highly eulogised Lord Je!lieb#'s Services as Governor-General At a luncheon in the .Guildhall at Bath, Mr Frederic Harrison, a known litterateur, proposed the health of the visitors. He said all who ran watched the incontestable events of this antous mirabilis knew that_the pr**> ent moment was fraught with TMt , problems, whereon the peace of toe king:*! 31 find of the world depended. The occasion which brought into conference the Prime Ministers of the Dominions was in itself was one of the most remarknble crises in our tinw. . It ineant an entirely new reorganisation of the Empire or rather the consolidation of the AlUed Commonwealths under the Crown. As an old htttoriifl, bt remembered how vast and rapid wm» !r the progress wherein their tinw > cast When hj? » grown ma* „ India was still governed by • cosaptßj_. of merchants Now it hda constitute* tional government. In hie youth tH great Australian Commonwealth ass Canada were colonies. "When he a schoolboy,' Melbourne, Sydney. Ma Auckland were first built. Now thy had 9een what those powerful national tiis had done in war and peace, wj glorious their deeds of arn», how nam they could teach the Old Country, not merely in cricket, but m every I<UK . of industry and civilisation. If proffjg" so vast had been achieved in tbe_ Hffr time of one man, what might not future have in store for them, and for I us. He described Mr Hughes as an unsurpassed crator in the Engum , tongue, and Mr Massey f as » man or great experience, both in peace and W Mr Hughes, replying, said the A®* tralianß were endeavouring to wnw in a far-off land a civilisation eattttttea with British ideals.. The oversew Dominions had, he believed, as great ju? glorious a future as tho British race could look back upon. Az»m*t- *»• institutions of the British Empire today, all the forces of anarchy asM Wstruction were gathered, but so lottff BS thev stood firm together, neither MW forces of anarchy, destruction. lWf ttg forces of hell itself would prew against them. (Cheers.) , . Mr Massey said the Empire had Pew a tremendous power, for good, BP*** ing enlightenment in. every coipery the earth. The Conference haddoaa good work. Some, people thougfti j* the Empire as the United Jtingflog,. but besides India and the Domunwef there were forty-three Crown ootemsa. It wns the aim of the Conference * make these separate entities spea* wwu one voice, and as ono nation. WW" withstanding the League of Natlflg he could not help thinking that W was not at an end. We must prepaw against an attack and be strong enow to protect the chain of nations « which tho Empire consists. #