DUKE OF GLOUCESTER

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 98, 27 April 1935, Page 6

DUKE OF GLOUCESTER

SIGNIFICANCE OF TOUR

SPEECHES AT BANQUET.

(From "Th« Post's" Representative.) LONDON, March 30.

At the Lord Mayor's banquet to the Duke of Gloucester at the Guildhall on.the day following the Duke's arrival back in London the health of his Eoyal Highness was proposed by the British Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald. The Duke of Gloucester had, he said, won the personal esteem and devotion of all with whom he had come in contact, whether in Australia or New Zealand, Ceylon or Jamaica, Fiji or Samoa; he had rendered an abiding service to the Crown and the Empire by the way he had carried out his mission. He had encompassed the world on his journey. When he sailed into Portsmouth Harbour he might justly have entertained memories of the great seamen, of times more adventurous, perhaps, who had ventured forth to make the name and fame of this land powerful and honoured among the nations of the world. They began. It was our less romantic, but no less worthy and necessary, task to conserve and consolidate the inheritance they bequeathed to us. They subdued and acquired. His Royal Highness went, after the creative centuries had done their work, as the representative of a sovereignty of peace, of order, and of liberty. , His visit to open the Centenary celebrations in Victoria was the latest of a notable series of Royal visits. HUMAN UNDERSTANDING. Well did he (the Prime Minister) know the difficulties and the delicacies of such a mission, and only those who had tried to do some such work could measure the degree of his achievement. The sincere interest he took in the daily lot and interest of all whom he met showed the Royal quality of an instinctive human understanding and sympathy which generated the truest royalty and affection among the King's subjects—our political kith and kin beyond the seas. That personal touch, by its immediate effects and the memories of it both left behind and borne away, was a powerful grip on the heart of the Commonwealth, enabling it to develop as a new: and nobler type of world Empire. - ' ' His Royal Highness left this country as the representative not only of the King but of his subjects Here: he had come back with the additional character of a representative in our midst;of our fellow-citizens who dwelt oversea. Between us there was. kinship in feeling and understanding—a feeling' which was essential to that mystic bond of spiritual unity which was loyalty: What the' Duke of Gloucester had seen and done during his journey had greatly strengthened the bond. It was of some significance also that he sailed from this country in the British cruiser Sussex and came back in, the Australian cruiser Australia. ' He (the Prime Minister) felt sure that the Australian Navy shared the pride of the British Navy in enjoying the privilege of having taken that part in the peaceful tasks of his Majesty's Navies, whose mission it was to spread, not the disruption of war, but the healing of peace and good will in every quarter of the globe. They congratulated the Duke on the way he had performed his mission and ofifetea him a very hearty welcome home. -.(Cheers.} . : [ ->y\ ■•;■,, ~.. ROYAL EMISSARY'S REPLY. The Duke of Gloucester, who on rising was received with cheers, said that he was deeply sensible of the feelings of interest with which the progress of his Empire tour had been followed by the people at home. He would assure them that a similar interest was being shown oversea in the Jubilee celebrations, which would be attended by many persons from the Dominions. It was seven months since he left England charged by the King With the mission of opening the Centenary celebrations of the State of Victoria at Melbourne. In the interval he had also visited all the State-- of Australia, New. Zealand. Ceylon, Fiji, Western Samoa, and Jamaica; and his one regreat was that circumstances arose to prevent his paying visits also to the Bahamas and Bermuda. ■ It was with the deepest sorrow and sympathy that he read of the tragic epidemic of malaria which ; struck Ceylon shortly after his visit and caused so much grief and suffering. The beauty and charm of those countries and islands, the unvarying loyalty and kindness of their people, the contrasts of scenery and the different customs, and 'manners of life combined to form a picture in his mind which would remain >a very grateful and lasting memory: That period had been an outstanding event in his life, and he regarded it as great good fortune that he had been given that opportunity of seeing much of the Empire and many of its peoples. If there was added to that the,fact that no effort was spared to make his visits comfortable and interesting, his hearers could readily imagine how enjoyable and instructive the tour? had been, its focus was of course the Centenary celebrations which drew to Melbourne people, from every part of the world. FESTIVAL OF GOOD WILL. It might be asked what was the special significance of a Centenary, and why it should make so wide an appeal, particularly in these times when people were so much occupied by their own affairs. He ventured so say that it was a festival of good will, a family gathering to celebrate a notable family event to which not only relatives were invited, but at which friends were also • welcome. (Cheers.) Certainly there were no more welcome guests at Melbourne than the representatives of other Powers and their ships and ships' companies, who came across the world to participate in the festivities. A gathering such as that served above all things to emphasise the essential unity of the Empire and the fact that the ties of loyalty and blood'remained-" as strong as ever to hold the people of our race together. There • were many notable functions in Melbourne, but perhaps the most striking was the unveiling of. the Victoria War Memorial on Armistice Day.' He was also privileged to unveil the New South Wales Memorial at Sydney. He had been so greatly impressed by all that he had seen that he' would urge his fellow-countrymen not to let slip the present favourable opportunity to travel within 'the Empire. He felt sure that they would find equal pleasure in their visits to the various countries passed through, that, they would receive the same genuine welcome and hospitality, and that they would return home as fUlly convinced as he was,of the wholehearted devotion to the Empire of our kinsmen overseas. He took that opportunity of thanking Mr. Lyons personally and through him the Federal Government of Australia for all the kind help and generous hospitality he had received He also thanked Sir James Parr, and through him the Government of New Zealand, as he did all others in the other parts of the Empire which he visited- who contributed so much to make his tour enjoyable. (Cheers.) The Duke of Gloucester than proposed the toast of "The Lord Mayor and Corporation of London."