FAREWELL TO HUGHES

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXVIII, Issue LXXVIII, 24 July 1919, Page 7

FAREWELL TO HUGHES

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

GERMANY'S ECONOMIC POSITION

LONDON, July 8. Sir Andrew Fisher gave an interesting farewell dinner to Mr William Hughes and Sir Joseph Cook. The guests included the Lord Chancellor (Lord Birkenhead), Admiral Weniyss, the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Auckland Geddes, Sir Edward Carson, Senator Pearce, General Monasli, General Chauvel, and Sir Thomas Mackenzie. Lord Birkenhead proposed the health of the guests. All the men, he said, who had contributed to the unforgettable help of Australia during the war were present at the dinner. Sir Joseph Cook, at the outbreak of war, had sent the precious message that the Australian fleet was at the disposal of the Admiralty. Sir Andrew Fisher had promised "the last man and the lasi shilling." It was when ruin, swift and final, might have swept these islands, that the fierce unanimous cry rang from the outer Dominions and came as | an inspiration. ' Lord Birkenhead congratulated the distinguished generals present on having done a work only done twice previously in history—by Napoleon and Cromwell. They had improvised staffs and generals from civilians. The Germans had laughed at that, but they did not laugh much after they met the Australian and Canadian men, whose feats of arms were most remarkable. The result of such improvisations was that no Englishman would ever forget Mr Hughes' courage in placing himself at the heao\ of conscription in Australia. "It is not our place to interfere in a local matter; but Englishmen recognise a man of courage when they see him." Sir Edward Carson paid a tribute to Australia's contribution to sea power, and to Sir Joseph Cook's services in connection with this matter. Admiral Wemyss said the Navy fully recognised Australia's moral and material support. The British Navy would always be willing to assist the Au&- I j tralian. i f J Mr Hughes, in reply, said he was glad to know that Australia, had proved herself worthy of being a part of the Empire. We would invite disaster if we opened our gates to Germany, and he would never be a party to it. He would do all he could to develop the Empire's trade within it- : self and with the Allies. | Sir Joseph Cook, replying, said that Australia would follow British tradition in facing the colossal tasks imposed by war. Sir Eric Geddes had confirmed Mr Hughes' view of Germany's industrial formidableness. "She has got what she never had before— a currency so depreciated that when she resumes competition she can get three days' work for a pound sterling, even if she pays her workmen thirty marks a day. Germany stands in an unrivalled position for commercial competition."