GENERAL BABINGTON'S FIRST SPEECH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11873, 27 January 1902, Page 5

GENERAL BABINGTON'S FIRST SPEECH.

THE NEW ZEALANDERS IN, THE " , FIELD. - [BY TELEGRAPH. OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington,' Saturday.. 7 Major-General Babincton, who is win-' ning golden opinions foi his admirable ,- - personal qualities, made his first ; speech in . New Zealand on Friday evening, in 'reply ; to the toast of "the defence force of the 7- - Empire at the Surrey luncheon. The General said he could speak from personal experience of the work of : the New ' Zea- 4 landers in South Africa. ' There was a> 5 Scriptural phrase, "By their deeds ye shall . know them," and he thought that those who had had the opportunity of , being there would agree with him : that : in l no. V, position in life ■ more than in; ; the■ • theatre iff ■ V.' 01 war did these words apply. ' The bests, qualities of a man : were called into, action/ 7 there, and if he proved himself a man under those circumstances he would do so anywhere. (Hear, -; hear.). "As they • knew, lie had had the ' honour—he could' ; truthfully say, the honour— have under him'- the Fourth Contingent ,of New Zea-' 7 - ; landers for. six months, and "during" thatJ' • time, and during the time he had = been in • . South Africa, , he had - never heard any words but those of praise for the New,' ZealAnders of that contingent, and of any, other contingent from this colony. (Applause.) As to . the colonial forces taking; their position alongside the ;; regular army,., i-* he would only say that when it ' was heard -'-;;.'• that fresh contingents of New Zealanders were coming to South Africa, everyone who knew anything at . all about the war. applied .for them. (Hear, hear.) He had # had no idea at . that time of "coming to ■ New Zealand, but he knew ,what' the New. Zealanders were, and. when the Fourth' Contingent was dispersed he parted from the men with as great regret as he had ' f ever felt in parting from men who had served him well. (Applause.) In acknow-7 7 ledging the kind words which had been expressed concerning himself, he said he would rdevote the best of his time and his ability, such as it was, to the defence : forces of New Zealand, and he would not % stop ; a day longer in the colony if he felt that he could do 'no good in it. He had ; been taken aback by the welcome he had v!-y received on ■ the day -of his arrival, 7 and v 7 still more by the welcome he had received within the past 48 hours. He only hoped that when they had had- more • experience'tV-? of him, their feelings toward him would ••' be equally cordial. (Applause.) • ♦