SPEECHES OF WELCOME

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 14, 16 July 1915, Page 3

SPEECHES OF WELCOME

It -was long after 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon that the last motor-car bearing the wounded soldiers who had returred by the Willochra had forced their way into the Town Hall through the crowded ranks that thronged the roads and sidewalks and the open space in front of the ■ main entrance to the Town Hall. It was with an ostensible feeling of relief that the men exchanged the motor-cars and the crowds for the quieter atmosphere of the Town Hall, where a few brief speeches were delivered. OUR ADMIRATION AND THANKS. • "This is an epoch in the history of the Dominion," said the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), in opening the . proceedings, and the audience loudly applauded. "We tender to you," he went on to say, " our admiration and thanks for the work you have don<e in the name of New Zealand, and in the interests of the British Empire. (Applause.) At the same time we express Onr heartfelt sympathy to the relatives of those who have laid down their lives on behalf the Empire. (Renewed applause.) We honour their memory ; New Zealand will always regard with the greatest affection those of her sons who died for the sacred cause of Empire. (Cheers.) To those who have come home again, I desiro to say that not only Wellington, but the whole of the people of New Zealand, welcome you, and on their behalf I tender you a hearty " welcome home." At the same time, we enter into a solemn compact, on behalf of the men, women, and children of N,ew Zealand, that we will, in regard to those who went to the front to fight on our behalf, carry out the obligations of Empire." (Applause.) NEW ZEALAND'S GOOD NAME. His Excellency the Governor addressed the troopers as " Fellow soldiers." " I com© here," he said, "as representative of Hie Majesty the King, to bid you welcome again to your own shores nnd your own homes. We are proud of what you have done and of the name that you have earned for New Zealand. (Applause.) . . . Your fellow citizens have given you. a right royal welcome, which speaks not only for the capital city,, but for all the towns and villages and cities of Now Zealand. (Renewed applause.) I hopo that the best of good luck will go with you wherever you are." (Cheers.) The Mayor apologised for having omitted to refer to the nurses on the Willochra, who had done such excellent service on the trip from the front to New Zealand in the Willochra. (Applause.) TRIED AND NOT FOUND WANTING. The JSight 11 on, w. F. Maßsey said that His Excelloncy the Governor, the Mayor, and himself were able to speak for the people of New Zealand in extending to the returned soldiers the heartiest* welcome that words could con-

vey. (Applause.) "Soldiers," he said, "you will recollect that when, only a few months ago, we sent you away from this city to the other side of the world, we predicted that when the opportunity came you would do your duty, and do credit to yourselves and to us. You have done all of those things. (Cheers.) You have been tried and have not been found wanting. You have proved yourselves good men, and as good soldiers as your ancestors, who won the Empire which it is our duty to protect. You went away as gay, bright-faced youths, imbued with the spirit of patriotism. You have come back still cheerful and bright-faced, but eb battle-scarred veterans, with wounds gained in an honourable fight — wounds of which you will be proud in later years, because they will show that you took a great part in a_ war on behalf of freedom and principle, a war in which Great Britain was saved by the heroism and self-sacrifice and patriotism of its citizens. (Applause.) We will never cease to mourn for those who have fallen j we sympathise with those who have become incapacitated, but we fight on and intend to fight on, until the war ends in a peace which will be satisfactory not only to Great Britain but to her gallant Allies. (Applause.) Mr. Massey supplemented what had been said about the nurses. Every man he had spoken to had nothing but the highest praise to bestow upon them. On behalf of the people of New Zealand, he wanted to thank the nurses for taking such good care of "our boys." (Cheers.) DEFENCE MINISTER'S TRIBUTE. The Hon. J. Alien added cordial words of welcome, and also paid a tribute to the captain and crew of the Willochra for the kindly care they had bestowed on the returning soldiers. He hoped that the men would settle down to their various avocations, but if any of them should return to the front it was to be hoped that they would be fortunate enough to escape injury. (Applause.) PROUD OF THE WORK DONE. Sir Joseph Ward said he was certain that there was one feeling swaying the people of New Zealand from end to end— a feeling of profound pride for the work the men had done. (Cheers.) "To my mind," he said, "it is a glorious epoch in the history of New Zealand when Ihe representative of the King, the head of the Government, Ministers of the Orowu, members of Parliament, and the Mayor and citizens of Wellington, and other parts of New Zealand come here for the purpose of paying a tribute to these soldiers whose work will never be forgotten so long as New Zealand remains a part of the Empire. (Uheers.) It is, therefore, with supreme joy and satisfaction that wo welcome, back these New Zealanders who have fought on our behalf." (Uheers.) As to- the nurses, Sir Joseph Ward- said it was an outstanding tribute to their care and skill that while 80 of the wounded men had to be car,ried on to the Willochra, only fifteen had to be carried ashore at Wellington. "I hope they will long be remembered for the service they did in the cause of Empire." (Cheere.) The proceedings concluded ' with loud cheers tor the wounded and the nurses. The Executive of the Patriotic Society went out in a launch to the Willochra yesterday, and conveyed the congratulations of the society to the wounded soldiers.