EMPIRE PRESS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18463, 18 August 1925, Page 10

EMPIRE PRESS.

DELEGATES TO CONGRESS. AUCKLAND RECEPTION. (tress association telegiiajt.) AUCKLAND, August 17. A civic reception was tendered to the oversea Press delegates at the Town Hall this morning. The Deputy - Ma yon, Mr Warnock, presided, and there was a large and representative attendance, including Sir James Parr, officially representing the Government. The Deputy-Mayor said that last week they had the pleasure of welcoming a powerful battle fleet to the Dominion. To-day they did themselves the honour of welcoming the representatives of a power that was more potent than all battle fleets, in that by their influence they guided the destinies of the world. Newspapers were the only literature of millions, and they therefore moulded the ideas, ideals, and thoughts of the nations. The most pleasing feature of the British Press, which the delegation represented, was its absolute fairness and honesty of purpose in advocacy of the people's rights and freedom. It was ever reay to combat anything that might tend to subvert peace and good society. He then referred to the growth of New Zealand, and its scenic beauty. They were proud to extend a hearty welcome to the delegation, whose personnel was so brilliant, and whose deliberations at tho coming conference might have so far-reaching effect for good. An official welcome by the Government would be held in Wellington, in a few, days,' but it was at the request of the Prime Minister and members of Cabinet that he took the earliest opportunity of expressing to the delegates a hearty welcome from the Government and people of New Zealand. Value of Publicity. He was particularly pleased to wel- | come Lord Burnkam, official head of the ' British Press world. He had had previous experience of Lord Burnham's kindness and' hospitality, when the Parliamentary delegation from New Zealand visited England in 1916. He hoped the delegates would not find, tiiis country uninteresting. It was to be regretted that their stay was so short, and he only wished that the visit had taken place in the summer time instead of the winter, for New Zealand was now in tho middle of winter, (Laughter.) The Government was trying to do something to make New Zealand known abroad, and he considered a great deal moro could be done in the'matter of publicity and immigration. They would see that the New Zealauder ]iad characteristics of his own, and from 75 to 80 per cent, were the children of parents who came from the Old Country; They were not more than a single generation away from the parent stock, and much closer than the Canadians or Australians they jealously guarded their British birthright. They were concerned with the question of immigration, and were seeking to bring out suitable people to this country, and he believed in catching them young,, so that they got used to the ways, laws, and practices of this country. The Pen and the Sword. Lord Burnham, who was received with cheers, said that the delegates were almost overwhelmed by the warmth of the gr.eeting. He returned the sincerest thanks for the reception The Deputy-Mayor had compared their

visit .with that of t-lm American Flwt. He would not draw any comparison between the Navy niul the Press. Ho would only say that the American Fleet was unanimously Lacked by the American Press, but ho was certain that the British Navy was equally backed and sustained by the sympathies of its own Press, and a combination such as that was very difficult to equal, and impossible to excel. Tho delegates rejoiced to find themselves in what they always heard to be, and what they already knew, the most Homo-like of the British overseas Dominions. He had already satisfied himself on that point. Thev had come here to renew many friendships, and to make more. He had had the pleasure of meeting; many public men from the Dominions, including the late Prima Minister, and on behalf of himself and ■ his colleagues he sympathised with New Zealand in tho dire loss sustained by the death of that great public servant. Of him it could be truly said: "He belonged to the bulldog breed." Lord BurnTiani paid a high tribute to the New Zealand Division. Immigration. The delegation had come to New Zealand to learn something for themselves concerning the resources and possibilities of the Dominion and the Commonwealth. He had never heard anyone who came to New Zealand that did not speak well of it. They had to realise, what settlement meant, andlie pointed out that there was not one country that did so much trade per head of population with Great Britain 'as New Zealand. There was no doubt they had to eee for themselves how best to recruit people here of good blood and good fibre from the Old Country. He was not there to preach the doctrine of indiscriminate immigration, because he knew how many objections there were to it. He hoped that nothing would be left undone to send out their best youth, the same as was being done to Flock House, which he hoped would be capable of great development. If at the Press Conference they were able to draw closer the skein of ties and rymppthy within the Empire, increase the concords and diminish discords, and get British people to rely more on themselves than on the outside world, then their time would not have been wasted.