AT THE TOWN HALL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 751, 25 February 1910, Page 6

AT THE TOWN HALL.

iTh'bugnYit was notY''r'bses, roses-all the way/'? there l .were .flags- enough, and the reception giveji to' Lord Kitchener, at the Town Hall'in. .the\afteriioon .-,wbnl3 : Have 1 quickened'the;pulse of ■ a more, emotional man. ■ -'lidra':'Kitchener\6todd. it; as coolly, as he "would''stand /fire,' ;:■ ''Th'eYhaU {was crowded "'hours:' before 1 '•■he arrived. ■. •: The. Field-Marshal, entered b j< a 'secret '.wmdiiifj Sassage, whW'had !;been {■ drapedYwith, , - agsi OH He ••emerged'.-upon-- the; platform; bright'.■.■\vith.- : flagsi;';'frohi; -..this , :'! rear. ~,entrance.': ' ■: The: .'Mayor. '(DrV :'Newman) : : and' MTS.NeTrinw, the Governor,': th.e •.Prime' 'entered it the samj: momeni with'-himl. ■ AU'eves* were focused man in; uniform,-who was{ushered.forward 'to:,a central : place." The applause "lasted .for some-seconds; Lord Kitchener stood'stiff, ,erect, .with features quiteYimpassive. Apparently,. the demonstrationY.was.. a , .little more protracted than was usiial . to, him. ■ He."; turned {his, head - a little to one side,' ■and .the steel-blue eye ranged for a mom'ent; along..the , Tceilirig..j:Y'Phe-:-.'-'-clapping ceased; the'Field-Marshal took "his chair. Stormed by more deafening plaudits later; and" pressed by: cheers.'the lmperturbabil- • ity: of..'the'Field-Marshal was■•momentarily overcbine.' Kitchener was : seen' to smile: , ! Y- ; - Y"; ,-' : ' ! Y'-V-Great!Ear iy {Crowd. Y ; ■'.- ;. -. {- ! Y; '" ; The reception'had: been timed for halfpast' four, ;and: it:,was. -two o'clock when the.first people, began, toarrive.. .By three o'clock .{.the: Town' Hall,; which -.- Iliplds about;::,. 3500' ipersons, "■:was filled. ;! After that ■•'.''time'".', b0,? , , one' bat ' thoseY entitled: -to;, Y'special.; , {seats:<;,upon, -the ■platform.' '.■ had;. a..•'•chanoe ■: ol<.;entering. {The , Y chanceY which_'■■' these .others had'..was;Yfar {from; .■ promising. -They: had to'.becoine, artful, generals or,,forcible .belligerents.themselves te.forpe an entry. Constables' g'uirded" the main; doors, and veterans the side gates. ..Their orders were peremptory: the:; hall 'was.filled' and no one'else could enter. "Strategy of a high roder".'; .was" reiuired Y.to ~circumvent their; .strictness.;.,: , At:{.'least; one; Y-Cab-ine't'.'.vMinister,. : it;;is.i City;; Councillors-failed ..get.' past the.,':-. defenders. '' Seats ''■■:: were, awaiting th'e'mYupon 'the platform, but they never reaohedjthem.'.'.the'veteran'.Yrhb guarded, a side',entrance was.inaccessible to. threats or 'arguments..'.-{He : alniQst .succeeded. in eiclnding.the,wMi}. press of .{Wellington, l •for-whose adniissKm noiinsrructioris -had been'.:given.' .The.'..'jrecep'tioii. 'might '■ have, beetf ■{rflpo'rted.'mth, sufficient; brevity', to please Lord.Kitchener.. "Across.my body,, only across my body," this veteran would have'; said to every lawful' and: unlawful applicant if his dramatic 6ense had , been equal .to. his' eensp of •trust.' '{One; man. took him at his implied word—did enter, across' his., body,: but the veteran was on ; his feet 'lo.hold back the'rest.;; ■';-.'.'..; But;though the; strict instructions :'is-. sued . Rave'rise.{to' some absurdities outside,,,' they, resulted .in excellent discipline. and {order- being kept within. The .hall. .'ana ~'not ■• over-crowded. Everyone had come.to see.Lord Kitchener;; people-iwaitedipatiently; and .impatiently. in:the, hot atmosphere. s,;Mr.)..:Maughan Barnett's' 'organ-. worthy objeot—to 'wii o 'ayay -the time', of waiting, were'neyer.so little appreciated. But'- aU.'things^.6o'nie !; .to -those'that wait and'at'la'st.i.'6rd.''Kitch"enef{camei.; The ■ applause ■ followed;;of {which- he., took ; so -..■..:;;:;.;{:; ; An?.lmpr,essive.;Scene, ;{:;'{',{■ . : { ; {.v{{ : -." .-A large'flag hung from'-.the middle|gal- ■ lery i ■ flags {bedecked ;.the. ! .platform ', flags were'* wreathed : round the: pillars of.: the hall; .librd'Kitchener, -{in' his. ■ Field- i Marshal's uniform,-the Mayor,' wearing his-bright chain of , office,!'the- ladies on the ; plaupifm, added'to.the colour.' In the .fr6nt.fow: on-the platform'.were the Go'verriori ■ Keld-Marshal,- the ■;Mayor.;- and. Mrs.'.Newman,""-Sir.: Joseph .and Xady Ward.: and..'Miss'-]Wardi ,D.r.' Tindlay and Mrs. , -.Findlay.-; Behind- them were.:a .'nuin-' ber.of-Ministers.vmembers; of Parliament,' city , councillors,'.and. otherVmembers.■ of. public' bodies','witli' theiKwivcs. Behind, these again,,ranged,round {the platform failery,':w«re the ■ veterans; under • Colonel [e'wall,. 125{;'..strong, .; ■ 'white-haired for'= tie , jnost , .;-part, .'prptid'of.-.'their, gold' and ■ silver medals, bar : s,'..and. ribbons of bright , 'colour/ One noticed on the platform - the'.'-Hori. T. MftcVenzie, Hon. : D Baddo.Ho'n. A.'K. Giiinnessj Messrs.: iWil- j ford.'Fisher, Luke,,and.Field,.M.P.'s. The Hbn:.A. , ■'r.-Ngata was,also present, representingHhe Ministry. {;.;,.'{;'. ';'),: '■■. I ::THfe MAYOR'S WELCOME.; ■ ' '- TlVe' '^Ma'yor . : : began' {bis .', speeoh : ': very naivelv- aid '."Your Excellency/' he said, --"we are very pleased to see'you'■' hero. to-day as the guest' of the-City of Wellington. Field-Marshal Lord Kitchener, the'pleasure of introducing , you to some . of the citizens, ladies ■ and . gentlemen,: of Wellington. Ladies and gentlemen, Lord Kitchener! ■ (Applause.) 'Now you ayeproperly and '• formally .introduced,- but. I need hardly say, sir, .that it"is quite an unnecessary proceeding, for-.the whole of tliese people- have.known- you- for. years and years, .sir,'and there is not, I think, anybody who could be a , more, welcome guest in thie hall of ours." ''. ■ . {. .' The. oily regret, they, had, .-continued his Worship, was that theMiall would only {hold about. 3500.' of the- 80,000 pepple who would , have 'liked , to come to greet the .Field-Marshal. '• The people of, Wellington were very- pleased; to -welcome him as'orie of their oldest friends.; They! were not strangers.'to him, they were his on ? flesh and blood.: Lord Kitchener was ph East Anglian, and 'there''were mnriy East Anglians present,-, with. others, like himself, who'W.ere'.'descended from Bast-An-

glionsT'They' were'not present outof curiosity; but'to' welcome a. mnnof Lore Kitchener's stamp.: ."They' had watched his.great : deeds in;Egypt,.had their best. and.bravest to serve under him in South Africa, and they were delighted to meet him here; for. another reason. . He (Dr.- Newman) knew-'that presently England would, have, her of trouble,. and in that , hour when, her- fleets were gathered, in the North. : Sea, England would! have no : power to protect' us. But we, had not been idle, wo,-had-, sent her a Dreadhbught,, with' pleasure;.. In Eng r land's, hour of .danger we: would .'.have n'oi'onp' to whom-,to',look for.-help,, except burselvesi/and .the nation-was. never- yet great, , , lie bejieved,.': which; conld ■ not .look to. its oivn. right hand., to. defend it.-. , ■ ■! Ne\y, Zealandls-young men. were.brave, but mere , ! bravery; was nothing' unless- it was properly' trained, and 'therefore -we were asking Lord Kitchener, to -give' us the benefit of his- great.-, organising power,, and ..teach us how to defend! ourselves. There,'.were : . many perils,' to. face-rwh'ite perils-arid yellow perils—but we were prepared to face thenij-and,we:wanted him to educate ns..'.-■Hβ.promised', .'that, this country, would take Lord Kitchener's,advice;, and,.would, act .upon.it.; .When..the Field-Marshal returned ,to', the ".councils of the /Empire■' he 'wished' , him' to "take tek. this-message, -.that -in ; England's hour .of: peril New-.Zealand\would be able to take caro of itself./ There were people who ; ;-did.not., believe in' militarism, but .there we're, the' militarism which.:' supported .a despot and militarism ; for ■ defence. ■■':-.• -. '■■'■' •'.,' ' : ''!''-'";.: ;; f

i .Dr.. Newman recalled the ; ; self-reliant policy successfully adopted,by New.Zeafanders'in'the Maori'.War. Ijqrthe sake of! o"ur wives, and families,' for,'every, reason, we were prepared 'to:defend our country!' -Wβ wanted to hold this country' against.'any peril, ; as the-Maori said; for ever, and ever, and ever. .There were people who believed that "the" military spirit was a'.shocking .thing ); -but he believed : that if a' people. never 'cultivated bravery and the military'spirit'-they degenerated. There were nations that would eat /us out .of' house and home, if we were unable'to defend ourselves. Lord Kit-\ chener, who was a great commander,, was welcome to , that hall and city: "We want to' defend this land of,;ours, 'ake,; ake, ake,' .'for,ever, .and! for, ever, and for ever.";'.(Applause:) "': '".'.'f.-i'A .■ '.'■■.'••■•'

{'.THE- GpVERNOiR'S{;SPE:ECH. ■{ "; His'i Excellency, the Governor' said :■'•. '-It has often been my good.- , fortune, from Auckland to the. Bluff, to join "with {the people of. New Zealand in-: mutual ;cOn-. gratulations" "upon; ■ our ;proud{ ; position as fellow- '•• subjects ■, of ... •an honouredand,.world -KingiVand : fellow,' members..., of-, the greatest ..Empire . the world,;• -has/ :ever . knb'wn.; ;,But •.,- I doubt ■ if-, any,Y occasion';:'{has;;;,.e*er,arisenYin' l -my ; term V.of: office, when {the direct ■ concrete 'evidence:, of'.the: value of -that { Empire, , -■toY'this.Y'; remote. portibn : -of- it .'has.-.been' so. {definitely, presented. I'br-to-day,..just'as;this.young country-is entering -upon 'a':serious. step in, the direction Of ;mak{ing.ifeelf;;strong in ' our-- lind'idefence, . and{'making. 'the :Empir'e strongi'b'y.' being'able to .{help other portions, of ..it : if menaced,''just at 'this moment, when'the .intricacies of defence and;the pitfalls:of a ; more rigid.military system have -to '.faced, : .the-'Empire presents its' Lor d: Kitchener; of j Khartoum. (Applause.) '•'■'■"■■■:;-' ."■'•■-V , ;■;•'■;;':'•■ "I; '■;.'■.-"■■ ' . -"Soi '■ Lord -Kitchener,"', this .'country. and this ■-. vast'.' {audience 5 ; are ■ endeavouring to .pay you'duo honour. !as{ itlie' hero of; ■ Om'durman,'. 'not; 'only , as' ' the man : '»irho : : , saved- much -suffe'riiiff and misery'by' so; , rapidly .finishing -the South African War, and" as the';majQ': , who made pnr ■• great 'Indian {{greater than it : also as: one , of the 'greatest military.' organisers of the'.whole, world, whohas-so -kindly and. promptly.{'answered the , call of New . Zealand,", and come'/here , 'to {give'-us-i his invaluable: , -help and j , adyice.". ■;-"• (Loud applause , ;) •' .'X:. , -:" '.■-[■>'-'f-' : ; ---'-v'.i'-'V,;:" -.':'-!'■

PRIME/ MINISTER'S;^."SPEE'CH; .'.'., . The Prime Minister, in : commencing his speech,. said: "To-day will .be remembered/as a history-making .-day; not only iti{ this city ;qf ; Wellington, /but throughout.ihe Dominion of ..New. Zealand, for the reason that .we have in ■ our own presence, the, distinguished, soldier -who has nooiie to-thank but himself for the , preeminent position he occupiesj; : n6t only in thejßritish in- the eyes, of; the. world." (Applause.) ■; Lord Kitchener had; begun his military, service. inthe' : Eoyal'.Engineers, where he. was;•distinguished for .'his accurate.'knowledge.Y'iin-; tiring;industry, 'and : for the utmost loyalty to his superiors.. That, was an arena' , where, merit was only, slowly recognised, but he , was ;there- marked .as a coming man.".--, His \ performances .in Egypt, at' Omdurman,,.. and., at : Khartouin. would never,',be... forgotten.. by-i his' 'fellow, citizens in.all -parts of the British .Em l ' pire.' The virtues early noticed in'him, and his solid, merit, were"'.shown ' all. through the, 'Egyptian" «ampaign;- up to the fall,of Khartoum. _These! were the; characteristics 6K the, brave "soldier! now, recognised as the' first ''in ■• his', profession in. the: world..' (Applause.), 'Throughout :the'.'distinguishihg characteristic of Lord Kitchener was a .patience., which! never failed-.him;'■•'■-.- ,; . V, ...•' ':■■'■■■•:.''■■:.::•■'.• - :- : . -, '

; Of '.course, the 'attributes .'.of. icourage , were; associated ; with - the.' -.virtue.'-. of patience, .but without Lord Kitchener's-pa-tience some'of his-victories-wpuld probably.never• have.been,achieved..: History showed; that no 'one took, fewer chances; no man's success justified.thaimethods of cantiori and patience; more!.-than; that of Lord; Kitchener:. !None : ;of,'his victories was due to. chance,-..as..was, so pften r sthe case ,with the: ordinary, world .victories. . Every , fight had been' won : by carefullyconceived, plais . worked', out in., the .utmost detail by a mind. naturally .gifted, in. the :arts,*,bf -.war. , "To-day; we , ; welcome .him, ;as .we;,beliove,;Yas' the greatest scientific! soldier {of. the {ago!.' (Applause.): ,To. him , war is-not- a.game,;but-;,a..science, .and ■ hence no . country ■■'couldihave?.a better, advisor in its military development than the. guest : of:. , to-day".-..:(Applause.)!. Yγ ,"The{- history-' of: his methods and suc'cesses in{Egypt was!repeated .in-the more difficult field of South 'Africa,. , where {he crowned, his- victories by,,.the-.demency .of .a man who could-admire a worthy beaten foe. , That is, evidenced by. the .way'ho sought to , .obtain":for the Boers after .their submission the. .best. terms England could honourably, 'grant.'... No doubt' he "-will ,, add fresh-laurels' to his crown,. and rival that ■ great general whose,countrymen fondly declared him■ to be 'first in , war.vfirst in peace;'and'first in the; heart of his-countrymen , .". (Loud applause.) v{ .".{'. .-...'■ ;.-.'-. ■"'■-:■ {

The Mayor{then advanced 'and said.: "Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you Field-Marshal Lord- Kitchener." A most enthusiastic', response was given !to this second .introduction. : The' immense' audience clapped and hurrahed, and after' the irregular 'demonstration; .the Mayor led the audience -in three cheers. .-■ Lord ' Kitchener. . acknowledged the greeting, at its.,conclusion, with! a slight 'smile and bow.: '."'!■" • . /

\: LORD KITCHENER'S : REPLY. Lord Kitchener, who, on *■ rising jto speak, was met .with'.a storm of applause, replied as-follows: 1 — ■■••'"V ,,, .-'■'-•■ ■■■■;:•'. J . -"It is a' very great 'satisfaction to: v- me. to be able ; to : visit this: beauti- : fully 'situated capital- of New Zea-" land, and I am very grateful to you, • Mr. Mayor, for the cordial welcome!, "'ypu have, given.me'on bohalf of the '■- citizens; as well as to' his Excellency' ■the. Governor and-the Prime Minister ; :■ for: the.very. kind.and too flattering •' terms of- the- speeches they have just ■made/; .■. . ■ ~. :■_ ■'/'■ .-■..■■_ ■ , ■•' "Wherever. I have been:in the Dominion, I have./been impressed by the enthusiasm displayed on the.ques-; tion of maintaining an: .e&icient'defence force, and it'seems to me only, ."appropriate that a city named, after' the most illustrious: fleld-iiarshal bur' : country has. over produced , :■■ take the lead in all .that pertains, to ■ military proficiency. I: sincerely 'trust' that-the measures .about to be 1 undertaken by the Government ' with _ this ;■'■ object in view.will meet the.national. ', .requirements, and 'enable'.-'.New. Zeo- ; landers to ; feel not .only secure.-at ; home, but also prepared to.t take, a share in- the responsibilities of our ..'groat Empire..,' •.•■■-'"•'. '■ ."." '.. v "No one who has visited.this conn- . i try can doubt the deep-seated and : warm-hearted loyalty of its inhabit: ', ants, .which has -been so, .practically. ■' demonstrated, by the excellent con- ; tiiigents■ sent , to South. Africa, and. ; by-the recent-gift of a, Dreadnought, to the Navy. : These arc substantial '.- proofs o£. the .readiness of New Zea- .. /. landers .to do : all in their, , .power' to ' support Imperial interests and ' tho Motherland.' I sincerely, thank you, Mr. Mayor,-,ns.well as.this great as- ' sembly- for the -liinil rpc(!ption_ you . have. giTen me , od this occasion." (Loud applausej .''■ " " : \ ■■' -'■'".',

After"the' speeches Mr.' E. J. HiU sanf> the first verse of. the "National Anthem," which was then taken ■ up. by the great audience with' impressive effect. "I wish to introduce," eaid Dr. Newman last of all," "the veterans of NewZealand, who are here to welcome lord Kitchener,'and as our honoured guests." A round of applause was given to the old soldiers. ■■

A large crowd was • waiting for Lord Kitchener: when he emerged from , the building a few'minutes later, and cheers wero given as he drove off in his carriage.