NEW ZEALAND DAY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 63, 10 February 1933, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND DAY

OBSERVANCE IN LONDON. SPEECH .BY PRINCE OF WALES. MESSAGE FROM THE KING. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) LONDON, Feb. 9. The New .Zealand Day oeremony was observed according to plan. In addition to the New Zealand wreath, Mr S. M. Bruoe, Australia, laid a wreath on the Cook Monument. The Lord Mayor, sheriffs and Aldermen and leading New Zealanders attended the service at St. Lawrence in the Jewry, at which Rev. Walter Beasley officiated, and Sir Lionel Halsey represented the Prince of Wales. Sir Thomas Wilford presided, and 450 attended the New Zealand dinner at the Savoy Hotel. The guests included Mr J- H. Thomas, Secretary of State for the Dominions, and the Indian, Canadian, Free State and Southern Rhodesian High Commissioners. The King telegraphed felicitations and acknowledged a message of loyalty. ' The Prince of Wales recalled happy memories of the Dominion, particularly t his meeting with the Maoris at Rotorua, where an insubordinate geyser, despite copious doses of soap, refused to perform. He would never forget the spirit of invigorating confidence, which would go far to carry New Zealand through these difficult times. The Prince expressed appreciation of Lord Bledisloe’s gift of the Waitangi Estate, and complimented the Dominion on having, like Canada and Australia, a notional day upon which those interested could meet and modestly blow their own trumpets. Pakelia and Maori now formed an essential element in the life of the Dominion, and vied in loyalty to Britain and worked in an exemplary spirit of co-opera-tion. ~ “To all appertaining to Aotea Roa, the Prince said, “I say with all my heart ‘Kia Ora.’ ” The Prince recalled his visit to New Zealand in 1920, when a difference of opinion between the railwn.ym.en and the Government caused him to lose three or four days’ good deer stalking and trout fishing. He also recalled hunting in Canterbury, when lie was unseated three or four times. Ho was trained on the hunting field to dread wire fences, but after his New Zealand experiences he thought wire fences comparatively easy obstacles alongside Leicestershire fences. “We are proud of Squadron-Leader Gayford and Flight-Lieutenant Nicliolette,” said the Prince. “It was bad luck they could not complete their journey in a single attempt. I am now more than ever convinced I shall be able to fly to New Zealand in a British machine,” he concluded. The Prince laughed heartily when Sir Thomas Wilford, in proposing his health, referred to him as an aristocrat of the air, all of whose flights had thus far ended with him still as a member of the landed gentry. He laughed again when Sir Thomas said that America would willingly forgive the war debt in return for the Prince.

Sir Thomas Wilford read congratulatory cable messages from Lord Bledisloe and Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes. Mr Thomas arrived in a lounge suit. He described his experiences at an earlier rowdy meeting at Finsbury, at which he was called “Judas.” He was asked, “What about Ireland!”’ though he expected to be hailed as a “jolly, good fellow.” The police were ejecting interrupters tor ninety minutes. Mr Thomas expressed delight that Mr Dulanty, the Irish Free State representative, was present at the New Zealand celebration, and said the majority of Birtons wished Ireland prosperity. Mr Thomas proposed the toastof the Dominion, to which Mr Howard Ferguson, of Canada, and Rt. Hon. S. M. Bruce, Australia, replied. Mr Bruce referred to Sir Thomas Wilford’s enterprise in establishing the inaugural New Zealand Day, and added jocularly that certain Dominions were deemed to have a monopoly of Royal patronage, some even securing Royal Governors-General. “Perhaps it would only be just,” he said, “if Australia also secured a Royal Governor-General.” The audience included Lord Jellicoe and Lord Rutherford, the latter proposing Sir Thomas Wilford’s health. GREETINGS TO NEW ZEALAND. BROADCAST BY*PRINCE OF WALES. Received February 10, 10.45 a.m. SYDNEY, Feb. 10. Listeners in Australia clearly heard the Prince of Wales’s broadcast of greetings to New Zealand.

SPEECHES HEARD WELL,

PALMERSTON NORTH HEARS THE PRINCE. From the point of view of the listener seeking readable signals, and also from a technical viewpoint, last evening’s broadcast from the Australian and New Zealand zone transmitters GSD and CSC of the British Empire short-wave station was most successful. The characteristic rapid fade was not particularly serious and distortion was not as noticeable as on previous occasions. The relay accomplished by 2ZF left nothing to be desired and the additional swing which accompanied 2YA’s signals was thus eliminated.

Punctually at 11 o’clock, the announcer, in carefully chosen words, meticulously enunciated, introduced Sir Thomas Wilford, High Commissioner for New Zealand, who explained that the Prince of Wales had been the guest of the N.Z. Society in London. Sir Thomas explained how the day was to be linked with the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. “Last night,” he said, “I sent a telegram to the King in the following words: “To-night His Royal Highness- the Prince of Wales is honouring New Zealand by inaugurating New Zealand Day in London. As president of that society, and on its behalf, I send to Your Majesty this message of loyalty aud goodwill.’ His Majesty in reply said: ‘I am interested to learn of the inauguration of New Zealand Day in London and I thank you for your loyal mesasge you have sent on behalf of the society. I am very glad that my son is present with you on this occasion’.” Sir Thomas added that the gathering had been attended by two ex-Gov-ernors-General—Lord Liverpool and Lord Jellicoe—Mr Rendell, the grandson of Captain Hobson, New Zealand’s first Governor, and Mr H. Williams, a grandson of James Busby, the British Resident. There had been 300 neopie at the dinner. The toast of the Dominions was proposed by the Secretary for the Dominions and responded to by the High Commissioner for Canada, Hon. A. Ferguson, the Australian Resident Minister in London, Rt. Hon. S. M. Bruce. Lord Rutherford of

Nelson had proposed the toast of the chairman. A wreath had been laid at the base of the Captain Cook statue at Admiralty Arch, and Mr Williams had placed one on the grave of Mr Busby. “I send fondest love to my mother, who is listening at Wanganui, with every wish for more prosperity to New Zealand,” concluded Sir Thomas. His Royal Highness spoke in characteristic manlier. He referred to the fact that many people would be “sitting up to hear this broadcast” and said that long distance had been compleetlv annihilated by radio. _ He also referred to the record-breaking flight made in the British monoplane to South Africa. “I have always regretted the time required to journey to New Zealand . . . and therefore I welcomedthe opportunity last night of having the pleasure of being present in London for the dinner. Ganada and Australia have their distinct national days and it is only right that New Zealanders should have this distinct aniversary, in which those in the city can congregate when they can meet to ‘blow their own trumpet’ for one night,” said the Prince. Referring to Lord Bledisloe’s gift to the Dominion of the Waitangi estate, the Prince said: “I join with you all in expressing appreciation of his generous action. I have many happy recollections of my visit to New Zealand twelve years ago and will always remember meeting the Maori race at Rotorua when I was welcomed with liakas and ppi dances.” His Royal Highness recalled that everything had been according to programme except that “Pahutu absolutely refused to perform.” “I shall never forget the hospitality and kindness shown on all sides. . . . The whole world has troubles to face. ... I know New Zealanders as I know our own countrymen, and I feel sure they will be self-reliant, courageous and calm in this time of trial and show the same courage they showed in the GreatWar. Ivia Ora! Kia Ora!” concluded the Prince.