WELLINGTON GREEKS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 158, 31 March 1941, Page 10

WELLINGTON GREEKS

Independence Of Their Country Celebrated GOODWILL TO BRITAIN Expressions of friendship and loyalty between Great Britain and Greece were exchanged at the I’aiiHelleuic Club’s celebration in Wellington last night of the 120th anniversary of Greece’s independence. -More than 200 were present. A number of speeches was made, the dominant note of which was pride in the achievements of the Greeks against the Italians and expressions of gratitude to Britain for coming to the aid of Greece. The president of the eltrb, Mr. A; Lucas, was chairman. The gathering included the Greek Consul-General, Mr. T. E. Y. Seddon, the vice-consul, Mr. S. Garland; the president of the Greek school, Mr. A. Janice; the Minister of Finance, Mr. Nash; the Chief of the Naval Stall’, Commodore W. E. Parry; the mayor of Wellington, Mr. Hislop; and the Rev. D. C. Bates. The proceedings began with a prayer by the Rev. Mr. Bates. Mr. Lucas then welcomed club members and guests. Mr. Seddou and Mr. Garland gave an interesting summary of the history of Greece, and her trials and tribulations for 400 years leading up to her liberation froin bondage ou March 25, 1821.

Greece would never forget England, said Mr. Garland, because England was the one and only country that had ever come, to the help of Greece in her times of trouble. ”ln this land of our adoption,'' be added, "we Greeks are all very happy. We rejoice in the doings of our native laud and' owe a debt of gratitude to Britain and her Allies who are lighting today a gigantic battle foi the safety of the democracies. We are quite confident that, with Great Britain on our side,’there will be nothing but victory, for the Greeks.” Britain owed much to Greece _in many ways, said Mr. Nash. Through her art, literature and determination, and through those great men of the past of the calibre of Socrates, Greece had set an example throughout the centuries. It was from Greece that the Christians got the story of the New Testament; the Christian world should never forget what it owed to that country for the great foundations laid there.

Mr. Nash paid a tribute to. the qualities of the Greeks who were able not only to stand up to the advance of the Italians, but were able to drive them back, although outnumbered at times by 10 to 1. "Tb’e Greeks must be imbued with outstanding courage,” he added. "Their road is going to be hard —so is that of Great Britain—but the enemy cannot defeat the souls of these two great countries.”

Mr. Hislop said that the Greeks living in New Zealand wet;e regarded as baid-working, industrious and loyal people. The Dominion realized that from Greece were inherited the traditions of the world’s culture and that the democratic ideas for which Great Briiair and her allies were fighting were born in Greece centuries ago.

Reference to the valuable co-opera-tion and associations between the fleets of Great Britain and Greece was made by Commodore Parry, who saiif that for years the ports of Greece had always been open to the British Navy. 'Today the two fleets were fighting side by side, and (he sailormen of Greece, as well as the soldiers, were worthy allies of Britain.