WEMBLEY IN 1925.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 19 November 1924, Page 5

WEMBLEY IN 1925.

REOPENING PROBABLE,

BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT

LONDON, Nov. 17. The Duke of Devonshire presided at a dinner given by the British Empire League to the Wembley 'commissioners. There was a distinguished gathering, representing forty-one portions of the Empire.

In proposing the toast of the guests, the Duke of Devonshire declared that he was confident the exhibition would be reopened in 1925. There were certain difficulties, of which he had no dopbt a solution would be found. He claimed that the exhibition had resulted in an entirely different conception of the Empire.

Dewan Pahadur, in responding, declared that he felt as much h, son of the Empire as the New Zealand or South African representatives. He had a feeling of full sonship and equal rights with the other sons of the Empire. He confessed his shameless and unrestrained pride in the Empire. The Secretary for the Colonies (Mr L. C. S. Amery) said the display showed what the Empire might be if the resources of the Empire were pooled. A similar exhibition twenty or thirty years hence would be something far beyond present day imagination. The Government, therefore, was of opinion that the exhibition ought not to be allowed to come to an untimely end. It had brought home the possibilities of the Empire to a considerable section of the population. The Government wanted the whole of the people to understand what it meant, therefore it certainly meant to see that the exhibition was; not only continued, but was continued more effectively than in the past months. Mr Roberts (New Zealand), replying, on behalf of the Dominion Commissioners, hoped the exhibition would prove like Saturday’s football match. To him the first half was not unsatisfactory, but the second half was a sheer delight.