GUESTS OF ROTARY

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 75, 26 September 1933, Page 8

GUESTS OF ROTARY

AUSTRALIAN OFFICERS

A party of nine officers of the visiting Australian cruisers were the guests of the Wellington Rotary Club at luncheon today. The officers were Engineer-Commander D. R. Herbert, Paymaster-Commander R. C. Negus, Surgeon-Commander Prentice, ' Lieut.Commander Hall, Lieut.-Engineer Gallahawk (Canberra), Eev. Mr. Henderson, Dr. Jones, Lieut.-Commander-Engineer Clarke, and Surgeon-Lieut. Bailey (Australia). ,

The president, Mr. C. J. B. Norwood, extended a hearty welcome to the guests. Since the first visit of the British Navy to Australia, he said, two great Dominions had grown up in the Pacific. He thought everybody owed a debt of gratitude to the' Navy, which played a large part in allowing these two gems of the Pacific to grow up peacefully. The Imperial Navy had become so strong that it could carry out its various manoeuvres with great dignity and confidence.- "We are hearing a good deal lately about disarmament, but I think we all hope that the links between the Imperial Navy and the Dominions will not be lightly sacrificed," said Mr. Norwood.

In conclusion, Mr. Norwood said he hoped the sojourn of the men and officers of the Australian squadron in New Zealand waters had been a happy and successful one, that they would carry back to Australia pleasant memories of their contact with New Zealanders, and that in those memories they would not.omjjt entirely the Wellington Rotary Club.

Replying on behalf of the naval visitors, the Rev. Mr. Henderson thanked the members of the club for their hospitality, and assured them that one and all would take away with them very pleasant memories of their visit to New Zealand. "We are cousins and both Dominions are an integral part of the British Empire," he said. "We have the same ideals and we feel we are part and parcel of that great whole that never dies.-' He hoped that it would not be long before the squadron visited New Zealand again.