DUTCH VISITORS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 118, 21 May 1941, Page 5

DUTCH VISITORS

STATE LUNCHEON

TRIBUTE TO NETHERLANDS

THE COMMON CAUSE,

The strengthening of the bonds between the„ Netherlands;.and New Zea4 land which had been brought abouf. by the war .was the keynote of they speeches made at a State luncheongiven at Parliament House yesterday to the Netherlands Foreign Minister, Dr. E. N. Van Kleffens, and the Colonial Minister, Mr. C. J. I. M. Welter. The Acting Prime Minister (Mr. Nash) presided, and there was a large, gathering which included High Commissioners, members of Cabinet and of both Houses of Parliament, and representatives of the Consular Corps and the Armed Forces. The three toasts were: "The King," "The Queen of the Netherlands," and "Our Guests," all of which were proposed by Mr. Nash. s In proposing the health of the guests', Mr. Nash paid a tribtite to the spirit of the Government of the Netherlands in continuing its resistance to the enemy on friendly soil, because of its conviction that the Netherlands would again be the great country it had been in the past, and even greater still. He emphasised the importance of the action of the Netherlands Government in placing the liner Oranje at the disposal of the Australian and New Zealand Governments as a hospital ship, fully stafffed and fully equipped, and expressed New Zealand's gratitude. INFLUENCE OF TASMAN. There would not;be a country called New Zealand if it had not been for-a Dutch province called Zeeland and a great sailor named Tasman, whose voyagings in these waters, had left their mark in the form of well-known place names. Mr. Nash.went on to speak of the great contributions which men of the Netherlands had made to the arts and sciences throughout the centuries, and recalled the deep impressions which his visit to Holland in 1937 had left on him. The greatness of the Dutch people probably lay in the fact that for centuries they had fought Nature and oppression, and in their regard for home and family and religion. Their outlook was intensely national because of the love they bore their own people and soil and country. No Sovereign was more revered,than Queen Wilhelmina. Speaking of the present conflict, Mr. Nash said that wars were not won by men and machines alone—the major contribution to that end was the attitude of mind of the masses of the people. That was why Holland, small as it was, was yet making a great contribution to final victory. The Allies would fight on', until the Nazis were destroyed. Hitler and his philosophy could nofciremain if the world was to progress, for his "new order" would be one of rulers and slaves. Englishmen could not live under such a rule, nor could Dutchmen, Belgians, Poles, or any of the other peoples in the occupied countries, and New Zealand would fight on with them until truth, . integrity, justice, and mercy could once more govern the relations of men and of nations, riot with hatred but with a quiet determination that when this war was over, it would not happen again. ' £ l? kpiMffrtJAi!"NfeEi>£ '"- Warm thanks for the cordial welcome accorded to them and for the I eulogistic references made to their , country by Mr. Nash were expressed | by Dr. Van Kleffens in his reply. He spoke -of the bonds that had long existed between the Netherlands and New Zealand and of the many similar qualities of the peoples of Zeeland and New Zealand: Despite Holland's, present plight under the Nazis, there were new bonds between the two countries because of their common cause. The alliance between the Netherlands and' the other Allies was a very specialone. It was not, like so,many alliances of the past, based on a document, nor did it arise but of giving and taking and sometimes uriedifying haggling. It arose out of the spiritual needs to which Mr. Nash had referred and the need for upholding good faith between nations. The visitors brought a message of good will and good cheer from all their countrymen, arid had also, come to say that their country was ready to do its part in anything that might be required of it in the Pacific, as elsewhere. Dr. Van Kleffens spoke of the pleasure which the meeting with Mr. Fraser, the New Zealand Prime Minister, had given the party when passing through -Sourabaya, and of their rejoicing that his plane : had escaped damage from the' bullets of Rashid Ali's followers over Irak. They had complimented Mr. Fraser on the magnificent war effort New Zealand was making ih playing its part to ensure that the war was brought to the successful conclusion they were all convinced it would ultimately A have. To-, gether, he declared, the Allies must crush the spirit of cruelty, aggression, and faithlessness which the Nazis represented. It was a pre-requisite- to ordered international and national society that, a given' pledge must be kept. That should be the foundation stone for the post-war. world. There must be a wise and lasting peace. Legitimate animosities could be understood, but a vindictive peace could never, be enduring. It would require great restraint to bring about the kind of peace that the world should have; there should be no peace based on short-sighted political and economic provisions such as were included in the Treaty of Versailles. When the hour struck, as strike it must, .they could count on the Netherlands, just as the Netherlands knew it could count on the people and Government of New Zealand.' "'""''''"' "'"""''" Dr. Van Kleffens expressed the hope that the co-operation between the Netherlands and New Zealand would continue to their mutual benefit when peace was once more established.

A loss of £44 18s 9d is .shown ln the working account of'the Wellington Acclimatisation Society for its financial year ended March 31, but this is mainly . due to the drop in shooting revenue. The funds, of the society are in a^ pound position, the balance of assets over liabilities being £4734 4s lOd. The war is restricting future opera--tipns, says the report^ but the conservation of forests, the protection of native birds, and the control of rivers and fish-must be carried on as far as is. reasonably possible. ■; ■■■'.-