MK. MASSEY AND THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 124, 18 February 1921, Page 5

MK. MASSEY AND THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

MESSAGE FROM TAYi! ° F STATE FOR THE COLONIES-

By Telegraph—Press Association. Creymouth, February 17. Mr. Massey, speaking af a public welcome to-night, read the following telegram from the Governor-General: — "I have to-day received the following telegram from Mr. Winston Churchill — tho following message for your Prime Minister:—l have to-day received from His Majesty the seals of the Colonial Office, and as my, first act in my new capacity I desire to extend to you my most cordial greetings, and to express the earnest hope that in close co-opera-tion with yourself and other statesmen of tho oversea Dominion I may be successful in drawing still closer the bonds that unite uh, and in contribution to the solution of the urgent problems of Empire with which we are now confronted. I look forward to meeting you in June.—(Signed) Winston Churchill.”

Mr. Massey stated that ho had forwarded a reply as follows: — "I have received Your Excellency's telegram, forwarding message from Secretary of State for the Colonies. I shall be grateful if you will be so good n-s to transmit from mo the following reply:—l thank you most heartily for your kind message, transmitted through His Excellency the Governor-General. In reply I desire to express to you, upon your assumption of the seals of the Colonial Office, the congratulations of the Government and the people of New Zealand, and to reciprocate very warmly the cordial greetings contained in your telegram. I shall at all times be most pleased, along with the other representatives of the self-governing Dominions, to join with you in everything which will make stronger tho ties uniting the countries of Empire more closely together, and also in assisting to the best of ray ability to sol?e the many serious problems which it is necessary to deal with not only at the sittings of the Imperial Conference, but also during the periods between the giyetings of the Empire’s representatives in London. I convey to you the good wishes of New Zealand' iu your new and important office—(Signed) W. F. Massey.”