EXTRA EDITION

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 16, 19 January 1921, Page 8

EXTRA EDITION

NATION'S THANES

PRIME MINISTER HONOURED

DECORATION FROM BELGIUMi

DOMINION'S SPONTANEOUS HELP.

The Prime Minister (the Right Hon. W. F. Maosey) was formally invested with the Order of the Crown of Bel'- ) gium to-day by M. Henri Segeart, Belgian Consul-General to Australasia. The decoration was conferred upon Mr. Massey by the King of Belgium, in recognition of the work done during the war- by the Government and people of I Now Zealand, and. the direct help given Belgium by the people of the Dominion. The- ceremony took place in the Cabinet room, among those present , being the Hons. Sir William Merries, Sir FrancisBell, D. H. Guthrie; J. G. Coates, E. P. Lee, C. J. Parr, Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, Dr. Pomare, Sir William. HallJones, M.L.C., J. G. W. Aitken, M.L.C., W. E. Collins, M.L.C., Messrs. W. Field, M.P., R. P. Hudson, M.P., H. M. Campbell, M.P., A. M'Niool, M.P., G. MitohcU, M.P., and Dr. Newman, M.P., the Mayor of Wellington, (Mir. J. P. Luke, M.P.), the Belgian Consular Agent (Mr. Guy Johnstome), "the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout), the chairman, of the Harbour Board (Mr. Harkness), the British Trad* Commissioner (Mr. Dalton), the Naval Adviser (Commander Williams), the Public Service Commissioner (Mr. W. R.. Morris), the president of the Chamber of Commerce (Mr. M. Caw), the president of the Centra] Chamber of Commerce (Mr A. L. ■ Hunt), and the chairman of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association (Mr. W. Perry). BELGIUM WILL NEVER FORGET. "I find myself to-day," said M. Segea-rt, "in the agreeable ' position of being „the messenger and representative of my beloved Sovereign to the Prime Minister of the Dominion of New Zealand, who is one of the builders of the <nosfc active and progressive amongst the young nations born to the international life since the last century. The Order I am going to invest you. with, Mr. Prime Minister, takes rank amongst the highest distinctions that my King can bestow, and my country knows that never has it been better deserved than by a statesmen who, since the first violation of the Belgian neutrality, has lead tis -people to our aid and has directed all the forces of his nation to fight the commoa enemy and to win the final victory. _ Never before in the annals of mankind was there such an outburst of sympathy and practical charity^as ,was «)iown "by the spontaneous assistance given by New Zealand to our small country twelve thousand miles' away arid practically ignored on this side of the world before August, 1914. "Such has been the action of every, .Yew Zealander Who has devoted his thoughts and work to the Belgian cause •hiring the five years of war, but it will remain the imperishable honour of the ■ Government of New Zealand, and of its loader, to ha»e devoted all the resources of their influences, and all the services of their various departments, to direct and increase the national effort of New Zealand towards the salvation of -my country: That is what Belgium will never forget, and it is with the in-, tention of giving a tangible expression . of this deep gratitude of his people that iiiy.. gracious King sends me to you today as his delegate apd representative. You, Mr. Massey, Rt. Hon. Prime Minister of New Zealand,- in the name of the King of the Belgians, I invest with the title and dignity of Great Officer of the Order of the Crown."

HONOUR'TO DOMINION

The toast of "The King" having been honoured, Mr. Massey proposed the health of the Belgian Consul-General, whom he apoke of not only in his official capacity but also hie private capacity. He asked M. Segeart to convey to the King of the Belgians his sincere thanks for the high honour given him in his capacity as Prime Minister for the time being. "I know perfectly well," he said, "that it is an honour not to me altogether. It. is an honour and a compliment for the people of the Dominion as a whole for the sympathy and interest New Zealanders were able to extend to Belgium during the great war, which has now happily come to an end."' Mr. Massey spoke of the great likeness between the King and Queen of Belgium^ and the King and Queen of Great Britain in that they shared the joys and sorrows of their people. Belgium and the Empire had much in common, and New Zealand itself,had a very strong sentimental tie with Belgium to-day^ because many of it» boys—the bravest and best of its boys—were sleeping on Belgian soil. That was a fact that the people of New Zealand could never forget. Belgium had been a partner in the war, and he hoped the relations of the countries in peace would bo as satisfactory as they had been during the last six years.

The toast was drunk with enthusiasm, and M. Segeart briefly replied. He emphasised the fact that the Belgians knew, the New Zealanders well, but after his tour of the country it would be his duty and pleasure- to tell his fellow-country-men of the beauties and capabilities of the country itself.

PRIME MINISTER TOASTED,

iTho Belgian Consular Agent, Mr. Johnstone,. proposed the health of the Prime Minister. He said he had no hesitation in describing Mr. Massey as tho great Prime Minister, for no Prime Minister of New Zealand had had such difficulties to face as Mr. Massey. Even now that tho war was over and had been won,.the work of reconstruction remained, and that was a stupendous. task. Upon Mr. Massey and the wisdom of his decisions to a great extent tho future happiness and prosperity of the Dominion depended. Therefore its was with great pleasure that he asked those present to drink to the health of Mr. Massev.

Mr. Massey, in his reply, said the little gathering revived his memories of the way in which the people of New Zealand had responded, no matter what they had been asked to do, during the war. He spoke of the initial efforts of the country in sending away reinforcement after reinforcement, and. recalled an Easter Monday during the German drive, when Mr. Lloyd George had cabled out asking whether New Zealand could help with more troops for the emergency. By night oJ the same day he was able to reply that 5036 troops were ready, and would sail in a few days. " Even since then New Zealand has been called upon, arid New Zealand men have responded and responded ' satisfactorily,'' added Mr. Massey. "However, lam not going into the details of that. That is a ma.tter 'for the future rather than for the present." Mr Massey referred with pride to the way in which the Belgian army had held the Germans at bay while the Allies prepared, nnd again thanked the Consul-General 1 and-the} others present for their generous remarks concerning himself.

Mi.'»i>i-.i, Vhirt wx! WiUmi will, „(,11, fur niture to-morrow at 126, Elizaboth-st,