THEIR EXCELLENCIES

Northern Advocate, 26 April 1921, Page 2

THEIR EXCELLENCIES

Lord Jellic-oc this morning expressed tho gratitude of her Excellency and himself for their welcome to Whangarei in such gracious and generou.'. terms as may have made his audiene'e feel that they might have been even more demonstrative than they were. After seeing their Excellencies anil noting their very kindly interest in tho returned soldiers and others who paraded in their honour, and after hearing the Governor-General's informal speech, everyone can understand why it is that their Excellencies have so quickly won their way to the hearts of the people of this country. Lord Jellicoe's inestimable services to tin; Empire assured him of th ) respect and regard of every loyal citizen before he ever set foot on these shores; but both I he and Lndv Jelllcoe have earned far more thiin that. They are so essentially friendly people,- so acutely interested in the life of the people among whom they have come to live, po eager to see and to know all that they can of the Dominion, that the people of this district can realise, as other s have, done, that New Zealand was very highly favoured indeed when Lord Jellicoe was offered and accepted the office of Governor-Gene-ral. As they pass through a crowd or as they move from bed to bed in the hospital their Excellencies reveal themselves as very human people, full of sympathy and kindly feeling- We honour them to.day because Lord Jel'icoe comes as the representative of the King ' and the

bearer of a nam: that Ir, /Treat in the annals of the Empire At the same time it is a real pleasure to have them amongst us and to know that we may offer them the highest esteem and respect as well as honour. If they are able to take away from Whangarei as happy memories as those they are sure to leave behind we shall be justified in I'egard.'ng their visit as an unqualified success. |