GENERAL RICHARDSON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20131, 17 December 1928, Page 8

GENERAL RICHARDSON.

DISTINGUISHED CAREER.

COMPLIMENTARY LUNCHEON.

NEW ZEALANDERS IN LONDON.

SOLDIER AND ADMINISTRATOR. [raoM otJB owir .correspondent.] LONDON, NOT. 2. Until a few months ago, Australia and New Zealand worked in combination when there was any important guest to honour with a luncheon. As may well be supposed, New Zealand's interests were rather overshadowed by those of the Commonwealth in the Australian and New Zealand Luncheon Club. The New Zealand Association was. therefore, formad for* the purpose of organising dinners, luncheons, and other social functions, and the New Zealand dinner some months ago, which was attended by the Prince of Wales, was the association's first Buccalsful social event. It held its first luncheon on Wednesday last, when it entertained Major-General Sir George S. Richardson on the eve of his departure for New Zealand. Over a hundred New Zealanders and business friends were present. Sir James Parr, High Commissioner for New Zealand, occupied the chair. He read apologies from the Hon. L. S. Amery, General Sir Alexander Godley and Earl Jellicoe. The High Commissioner congratulated ( the association on the obvious success of the first luncheon. It showed, he said, that there watt a need for the organisation in London. Sir James gave an account of the chief guest's career as a soldier and an administrator. As the general's later years had been concerned with civil administration, he said, one was apt to forget that he was a distinguished soldier. Unaided by family influence, , without the assistance of much worldly wealth, and with few friends in his early days, he had, by his own energy and brilliance, won a distinguished position in the military world. Reputation as Army Officer. Referring to the period when General Richardson was in command of the New Zealand Forces in England, Sir James Parr said: "I knew him in those days when he had control of all our camps and men in England. My own experience of those days confirms the opinion everywhere expressed by the New Zealand soldier, that in General Richardson they had no martinet, no English Army disciplinarian of the old, stiff, unsympathetic school, but a very kind, warm-hearted friend, to whom even the private soldier might go in his hour of trouble. Those two years made General Richardson the prime favourite of the Now Zealand soldier. No officer came back from the war to New Zealand with greater respect, and, indeed, affection, attached to his name than did General Richardson." When General Richardson was called to be Administrator of Samoa, said Sir [ James, he undertook it as he had undertaken all his tasks, with courage and with a desire to do his best for the natives ,of Samoa. The speaker referred to recent happenings in Samoa, and spoke in high terms of the policy followed by their guest. Finally the High Commissioner expressed the hops that General Richardson was not going back to autumnal laziness, than when he got back to Nsw Zealand he would put his energies into some channel that would be for the use of the community. General Richardson, in replying, Mud that he was delighted to meet many old comrades of the war and some whom he never expected to see again. During the last few days he had been visiting the battlefields again. What impressed him most .of all was the large number of cemeteries which were the evidence of the great; sacrifice of young lives. It made one proud to be a Briton, but it made one also feel that each one of nil had a duty to prevent a recurrence of such a sacrifice. It was our duty to support the League of Nations or anything that was being done to prevent snch a tragedy being repented. " Friend of the Under-dog:." "1 have always been a friend of the said General Richardson. "In the administration of Samoa we have a sacred duty under jthe mandate to work for the indigenous inhabitants, and try to bring them to a position as far as possible to stand alone. In the past the natives of the Pacific were undoubtedly in danger of decay. By means of good administration, medical attention and other matters, these brown people are an increasing race." General Richardson explained something of the psychology of the Samoans. He maintained that hoth Australia and New Zealand in their respective spheres were carrying out something more than the spirit of the mandates.

The Hon. W. Pember-Reeves said he was no hero worshipper, but he thought the part played by General Richardson was that of a hero. He had sacrificed comfort and ease for the benefit of the native race of those islands, fighting their cause from beginning to end, even when no white civilisation could understand it. As New Zealanders they should be grateful to General Richardson and proud of him. The High Commissioner mentioned frith great regret the serious ill-health of Sir Charles Skerrett, Chief Justice of New Zealand. Mr. Reeves asked for and received the company's support in sending a message to Sir Charles expressing their warm sympathy and best wishes, and the hope that there would be a termination to the period of suffering he had had to endure.