OFFICIAL LUNCHEON

Evening Star, Issue 21905, 17 December 1934, Page 10

OFFICIAL LUNCHEON

MR FORBES'S SPEECH NEW ZEALAND'S MESSAGE ID KING AND PEOPLE [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, December 17, In the course of his speech at the official luncheon to the Duke at Parliament, House, Mr Forhes welcomed him as the ambassador of our kinsfolk in the United Kingdom,' and referred to the pleasure which previous Royal visits had given. New Zealand, said the Rrime-Minister, was a land which was British in birth, in sentiment, and in policy, and it was his earnest,hope that the Duke would feel entirely at home during his stay in the dominion, “ W© are pround of our British descent,” he, said, “ and our desire is to prove worthy of that priceless heritage.” 'v i;

We in New Zealand had watched with the utmost sympathy the determined, struggle of the people in the United Kingdom to overcome the successive blows of economic adversity, and never for one moment in the course of that struggle had we wavered in our complete confidence that .those qualities of courage, imperishability, of industry, of order, and above all, of sound commonsense and goodwill, which had carried the British people so triumphantly: through times of crisis and peril in the .past, would again enable them to prevail over the economy difficulties of the present time. To-day we knew that our confidence had been justified, and we rejoiced to note the unmistakable indications that the Old Country was once more gathering strength. For ourselves, we were still confronted with many difficulties and new and perplexing problems. W© were endeavouring to meet them with the spirit of our fathers—the spirit of the British. ,

Turning to world problems, Mr Forbes said the greatest sources of international uneasiness to-day were undoubtedly ■ the unsolved problems of disarmament and security. Only those in the closest touch with the position as it developed could realise the almost insuperable difficulties to be overcome, and the magnitude of the efforts that had been made by the British Government in the matterThese efforts would continue to receive our enthusiastic support. However, we must realise that Britain, must proceed, with all proper caution on the side of security. Britain, with the entire concurrence of the dominions, had already given a vast pledge to the world. “We have two "messages to entrust to your Royal Highness on your return to the Homeland—messages which you will find confirmed in every quarter of our affectionate loyalty to His Majesty, your father, personally and as the king of the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the British dominion* beyond the seas; secondly to our kinsfolk in the Homeland these sentiments —that we are proud of our British desscent, and still prouder of our British traditions of fair play and goodwill to all; that we have no constitutional problems or questions of freedom or status; that we value most highly our membership in the British Commonwealth of Nations, and that we will stand shoulder to shoulder with the British people for good or ill, for better or for worse, in all things for all time.”

Mr Forbes then asked those present to drink.the health, of Hjs Highness.