"COME TO LEARN"

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 18, 22 January 1940, Page 8

"COME TO LEARN"

LORD WILLINGDON'S

ADDRESS

A FEW WORDS ON INDIA

"I have come here to learn ..rather than to teach," declared Lord VWillingdon, "and I have learned today.a great deal about the past 100 years of progress in New Zealand. •

"I came also to read you a message from my own Prime Minister, Mr. Chamberlain— (applause) —and his Government to the people of New Zealand on this most impressive and. important occasion. I bring also a message from an old friend of mine, Mr. Mackenzie King, who was Prime Minister of Canada when^ I was GovernorGeneral there." . ■■•■'"'' :

After reading the messages, Lord Willingdon went on: "What appeals to me more than anything in the message from my Motherland is a the part which talks about the celebration of these events by Maori and: pakeha. alike 'as a token, of the mutual understanding and. co-operation upon, which the British Commonwealth, is founded,' . hopes for india: '"For 100 years the great Maori race and the British people have lived and worked for • 'the- • mutual development and prosperity of these two wonderful islands. I have lived for 16 years in India, which I hope will soon become in the same position of Dominion status as obtains here in New Zealand. There, during those, 16 years I lived and worked for that mutual understanding and co-operation between our British people and the 350,000,000 Indians who live there. , ' ,\ "I am confident that/this great cooperation will come about, and I can only say that I,hope India wiir follow the wonderful example you,.have set in this country and give us .full cooperation in a very short time. (Applause.) . '.'. "..■■"-'■ ■ ■ ' : r"I come here with great pleasure and pride as the representative of my' Motherland, and I am delighted to have had Ahe opportunity of. adding my tribute to those already made to the wonderful courage, energy, and enterprise which was, the reason for; the pioneers' arrival'here: 100 years ago. - "What strikes \me as a significant thing sin: the ' .development / of , "this country is to think of the long months the pioneers took to arrive ;on, these shores, suffering the troubles, dangers, and difficulties of the long sea, journey, and to think that I came here, in perfect comfort in 14 days in an'aeroplane.

. "I trust that this Dominion, which has already done so much for the Empire in difficult times;'will coritinuei to prosper after—as lam : confident we will do—we have won the war."