EARL BALFOUR

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 26 July 1928, Page 5

EARL BALFOUR

EIGHTIETH BIRTHDAY. HIS GREAT WORK RECOGNISED. TRIBUTE FROM PRINCE OF WALES (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, July 24. Great Britain’s veteran statesman, Earl Balfour, celebrates his 80th birthday to-morrow, and the 'Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. Stanley Baldwin), supported by the Liberal and Labour cxPiume Ministers, Messrs Lloyd George and Ramsay MacDonald, will present him with a' Rolls Royee car as a gift, from his Parliamentary friends. Earl Balfour to-day" opened the new home of the British Academy, of which he has been the president for seven rears. At the subsequent lunch his health was proposed by the Prince of Wales.

In doing so, the Prince spoke -of him ns “one who is honoured and loved by all who speak the English tongue the world rover.” His Royal 'Highness declared: “To-'day we are thinking with great gratitude of all that Earl Balfour has done in his l'ong and busy life, not only for ourselves as a nation, but for the pea.ee of the whole world. We are thinking 'of his 'many distinguished services to learning and the arts, but above all we are thinking of him as a very Aviso and charming friend. ’ ’

One of Earl Balfour-’s phrases in his reply was ia. reference to the Prince as the “natural leader of our youth.” Earl Balfour is President of the Council and is a member of the Cabinet without portfolio. Although recently he has been unwell, his health is generally remarkably good, and until lately ho regularly played tennis and golf. He is now reported to be writing his treminitfefcnces .of events ’in which he took a leading part, during the last, half century.