WELCOME AT DEVONPORT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17274, 25 September 1919, Page 8

WELCOME AT DEVONPORT.

PRESENTATION OF ADDRESS. I i A "WEST COUNTRY" SHIP. Lord and Lady Jellicoe paid a short visit to Devonnort yesterday afternoon en route to Takapuria, and " during the stay I-ord Jellicoe was presented with an illuminated address. The party crossed the harbour in the Admiral's pinnace and were received by the Mayor and councillors of Devonport in Marine Square, where a short ceremony of welcome was held. In the centre of 1 the Square a platform had been erected J and behind this was a handsome arch covJ ered with ferns and palms, and bearing | the Naval Ensign and a device with the j word "Welcome," On the platform were ! the Mayor, Mr. H. S. W. King, and the I Mayoress, the members of the Borough i, Council, the ex-Mayor, Mr. J. Henderson, . Captain Parker, an old navy man, and i Sergeant Rowley Hill. ] The Square was crowded with the resi- " • dents, eager to do honour to the Admiral • ; of the Fleet, over 700 children from the I Devonport and Stanley Bay schools, and : a number of returned soldiers and Royal Naval Reserve men. ; A squad of boy scouts formed a guard of honour, and as the Admiral and Lady i Jellicoe stopped on to the platform they 1 were loudly cheered by the gathering. I j Future Naval Headquarters. 1 ; Following the singing of the National I Anthem, the Mayor welcomed the visitors i' on behalf of the people of Devonport. . He mentioned that the name Devonport , would no doubt recall to the visitors the i Devonport in the West of England, with 1 its naval dockyards and college. He exi pressed the hope that some day their own. i Devonport might become a naval head- ; quarters. r Mr. King then asked Lord Jellicoe to . accept an illuminated address as a token t of the admiration of the people of Devon- . port for a gallant admiral. (Applause.) The address, which was handsomely , bound in blue morocco leather, bore on its , coyer the initial J," surmounted by a coronet, while the lettering of the address J was surrounded by a handsome border of New Zealand flora, the council's seal and i monogram, a view of Devonport and an- '_ i other of Calliope Dock, showing the war- ' I ships Calliope and Diamond docked on the I opening day, February 10, 1888, being artistically incorporated. 1 . In acknowledging the address and the ' . Mayor's remarks, Lord Jellicoe said it was ' to him a great pleasure to receive the ' I welcome tendered to him on -his first visit !to the borough which bore a name so 1 familiar to all members of the British 1 , Navy. 1 Proud of Mercantile Marine. " It may interest you to know," he said, - " that H.M.S. New Zealand is what is 1 termed in the service a " West Country" - ship, as she is manned from the Devon--5 port Depot, so that, apart from the natural i interest that is taken in the ship presented I by the people of the Dominion, I feel it t a peculiarly appropriate and special privil lege to receive* on behalf of the officers - and men, the distinction you accord m£ as s their representative, and as representative 3 j of the service to which you pay such high j testimony. In that service we are proud that our brothers of the mercantile marine

I are included, and, as you are aware, the I primary object of my visit here this afterj noon is to do honour to the memory of | one of its most gallant members, whose heroic deeds will be handed down to posterity." Continuing, Lord Jellicoe said Lady Jellicoe joined with him in thanking the people of Devonport for their good wishes. He assured them that he and Lady Jellicoe would carry away the pleasantest remembrances of their visit to this beautiful Dominion and of the great kindness they had received on all sides since they landed in New Zealand. He wished all success and prosperity in the future to the inhabitants of Devonport., Lord Jellicoe said he hoped the boys of Devonport would be attracted to the sea, and added, with a smile, " I hope the girls will encourage the boys to adopt the sea as a profession, for the love of the sea and of themselvesthe girls." The Admiral of the Fleet was warmlyapplauded at the conclusion of his remarks. Lady Jellicoe was then presented with a beautiful bouquet by one of the Mayor's little sons. Hearty cheers were liven for the Admiral and Lady Jellicoe, after which the party left by motor-car for Takapuna.