"KNIGHT OF BOUND TABLE"

Evening Star, Issue 25171, 10 May 1944, Page 3

"KNIGHT OF BOUND TABLE"

MR FRASER HONOURED BY ANCIENT GLUB ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY'S TRIBUTE TO NEW ZEALAND (N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent.) (Rec. 12.5 p.m.) LONDON, May 9. A definite impression was made by Mr Peter Eraser when the Prime Ministers' conference discussed Commonwealth trade and economic monetary policy. He had facts and figures at his fingertips, which particularly impressed Field-Marsha! Smuts. Last night Mr Fraser, accompanied by Mr Jordan, visited the Royal Naval College at Greenwich, talking-with many New Zealanders in the Fleet Air Arm. The suggestion was made that New Zealand should have her own fleet air arm squadron, to which Mr Fraser agreed. To-dhy Mr Fraser was made a " Knight of the Round Table " when he attended a luncheon given by the Knights of the Round Table Club, which was formed in 1720, of which Mr Jordan was made honorary vicepresident before the war. The Danish Minister and Mr Christmas Moller, leader of the Free Danes, were also made knights with Mr Fraser. Mr Fraser's health was proposed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who said: " The record of New Zealand rts a_ partner in our commonwealth of nations is one of which the whole Commonwealth is proud. It has never been prouder than in these last days, and that record has received added glory from the splendid achievements of the New Zealand troops fighting especially in North Africa. At the time the New Zealanders were performing prodigies of endurance and valour with other troops of the Empire New Zealand was under threat of possible invasion from the Japanese, and we have all the more reason to be grateful for the comradeship which we have enjoyed with New Zealanders that their troops remained to see the campaign through to the, end. even though the threat to New Zealand itself still existed." -

The Archbishop added that it was one of the defects in his education that he had never been to New Zealand, to which Mr Fraser interjected: "That may be iput right." The Archbishop paid a tribute to Mr Fraser as being " one of that large number of Scots who had gone, forward to the conquest of the world—of which we are well acquainted in England." (Laughter.)

Mr Fraser, replying, referred to the Maoris as being " one of the finest people on earth," their chivalry being unsurpassed by any people, even by King Arthur." Mr Fraser paid tribute, to the Danes, who had contributed substantially to the success of New Zealand dairy farming. "We are very glad that the Free Danish movement is showing such signs of vitality, endurance, and determination," he said. There were some amusing exchanges relative to the merits of New Zealand and Danish butter, one in particular being made when the Danish Minister mischievously suggested that New Zealand should not place too much reliance on the word " Empire," instancing a case before the war when an Englishwoman who could not find Danish butter to buy, on being offered Empire, said: "If you have not got Danish butter T do not want any of that foreign stuff." (Laughter.^ Mr Fraser said that nothing would please New Zealand more than to know that Denmark was once again free. There never had been enmity in their competition. There had "been cooperative competition. Mr Jordan, in a tribute to the resistance of the Free Danes, emphasised the value of sabotage in Euroop hv stating that durino; a recent raid the Germans _ dropped 153 incendiaries around his house, of which over onethird failed to ignite—an illustration of useful sabotage.' •/'