SIR FRANCIS BELL

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11394, 15 December 1922, Page 6

SIR FRANCIS BELL

A CITIZENS’ WELCOME BANQUET TO N.Z. REPRESENTATIVE ABROAD. INTERESTING SPEECHES. Last evening the banquet of the citizens of Wellington, to welcome Sir Francis Bell on his return from important and intricate public work in the Old Country, in Europe in fact, was held last evening at the Empire Hotel. It was a representative gathering, very cordial, and without any political colour whatever. The citizens lecqgnised that Sir Francis had represented the country on an occasion requiring the backing of the whole Dominion. Hie Great War had given the Dominion a now status in the Empire of family federation. The powers of its soldiers has brought that about by general agreement of all nations allied with the Empire in the war. This is a manner suggestive of great tilings in the future. The favourable impression made by our troops, not only as troops but as citizens of a splended Froe State established by the ability, courage, and self-reliance of their fathers and grandfathers, was beyond nir or adequate description. Everywhere men admired, and wondered with something like enthusiasm what possibilities are m store for a country which had produced such splendid human material and placed it unreservedly in splendid soldierly discipline in the great, battle-line of the nations, when it gained rank second to none. Men realised New Zealand as no longer a wilderness hut as a State in the first rank of civilisation, holding with strong grasp a position in the •foremost line of civilisation, backed by the exertions of an enlightened, selfreliant people. Small as to numbers, great in ' possibilities, a valuable partner in the Eimipire—that was the New Zealand presented to tho world by our splendid fighting citizens in the in tense limelight of the greatest war of the world. But after this presentment our statesmen had formed the imperial Council and made their mark in the wide family peace negotiations. Later they had partiedpato’d in many of j the conferences made necessary by the aftermath of the war hurricane, notably at Washington, . and after Washington at Geneva at tho meeting of the representative body of the League of Nations. The statesmen of New Zealand, the whole world 4cn,ows, have not failed to maintain tho. standard established by the troops of this remarkable Dominion. Sir Francis Bell had represented tho Dominion at Genoa: Naturally the citizens of Wellington arranged, to give him welcome. ' He is a native of New Zealandi he Jhas stood worthily for New Zealand at the supreme height attained for her by her sons and daughters and leading men. Appreciation and acclaim were his due, and he got them in full at this banquet, as the na-tive-born citizen who had done one of the biggest things in the political history of the land of his birthp. THE CHIEF JUSTICE:

Sir Robert Stout presided. The Chief Justice, at the head of the citizens, welcomed the head of the Bar on his return from his fine service. There was not only that' in it. Some fifty years ago these two were youths, starting in life. The country had to make its way, and they had to make theirs. Each had a career open to his talents, the opening guaranteed by the freedom of our institutions—self-government having dawned about a decade before their start—and for each there . was much, kindly prediction by many of tho elders of experience, New Zealand having, in the special development of its history; established a school of men skilled in .reading, human nature. It is the book the reading of which has done more for New Zealand than all the reading of books, which has not been by any means neglected by the expanding population of this country. NOTABLE CAREERS. These two young men went their several ways, carving each his career. They eventually verified the predictions each in his own way. No need to trace the ground they covered. One attained the rank of Prime Minister, and going to the head of the Bar, arrived at the position of Chief Justice, with a reputation for general culture and statesmanship wider than the country in which he earned it. The other rising to the leading position at the Bar, also readied high on the political side, led the. Legislative Council brilliantly, and did fine work as ActingPrime Minister in the absence of his chief, Mr Massey, who hadi gone Home to take that part in the Imperial affairs which had maintained the reputation attained for the Dominion by tho troops in the great world war. After fifty years these two men met at this banquet, the Chief Justice leading in the honour paid to the head of tho Bar in his great service of diplomatic representation in the conference of the statesmen of the world. That fact gave it special interest to this banquet. The assembledcitizens by their cordiality showed their preeiation oTthe same. CHIEF JUSTICE SPEAKS. The Chief Justice was of course entrusted with the toast of the evening. Speaking for the citizens he began by eulogising the ability and public services of their guest. This being done he expanded inOT' a brief discourse on the paramount necessity for recognising ability of all kinds in the Dominion, in Older to promote the efficiency already characterising the conduct of all the affairs of the Dominion, and especially all great public effort, such as the effort which the guest of the evening had put forth throughout a career culminating in his fine service at Genoa and Geileva, so much appreciated by all in this Dominion and by the statesmen of wider experience who also had seen it at close quarters.

THE FIRST SIR FRANCIS. Sketching the career of Sir Francis Bell with warm appreciation, he took occasion to mention his father, the Sir Francis of an older day. The latter he mentioned as one of the original pioneers, whose knowledge of affanrs, ability and thoughtful industry had done so much in shaping the course of affairs of the early days which had led to tho splendid development in all lines, social, political, commercial, which to-day marks the position of New Zealand in the world. The Sir Francis of to-day had, Sir Robert said with kindly , emphasis, followed worthily in the footsteps of the father who had done so well. Rounding off with some wise discourse on the public duty and high ideals Sir Robert received 1 a great burst of sympathetic applause. ’ THE GUEST REPLIES. Sir Francis replied when the applause which greeted his rising most warmly had subsided. He began by explaining that he had left this country bent

on nothing more serious than holidaymaking. But a request had oome from the Imperial Government for a New Zealand representative to be present at Genoa. It was an honour to the Dominion and ho had received the honour of the representation at Genoa, and subsequently at Geneva. He had done his best to represent the Dominion, speaking for its rights and ideals as fully as occasion required, but he had never forgotten that the first consideration in the representation of a country so small is modesty, that its voice can never be equal to the great voices of large powerful States that resound over the world. Nevertheless he had not failed to make the Dominion’s interests always dear, distinct and insistent. For example,' when freetrade was uppermost in the discussions he had frankly declared that whatever might be said for that policy elsewhere, it was not. acceptable to this Dominion for obvious reasons of its own, but this did not imply any intention of being unjust to any country. Concluding, Sir Franois received tho warmest applause. THE DOMINION AND ITS PREMIER. Sir John Findlay followed with the toast of the Dominion, coupling the name of Mr Massey, the Prime Minister, who was of course present to honour the returning representative. In a carefully balanced "speech Sir John described the Dominion as it is—doing 'justice to the astonishing development and all the lives sketched in Sir Robert Stout’s reference to the Bells, father and son. The foundation of that marvel, he said, was selfreliance, a spirit forced on the people of the expanding colony” by its geographical position. No State anywhere near to help substantially or by suggestion, the people of these islands set in a great waste of water, had to rely on themselves to work out their destiny. So well had they done it that the whole world wondered. OPPORTUNITY. To his mind the best feature of their great performance was the wide opening wall of opportunity. The vast number of men who had taken advantage of opportunity—and he 6aw many .at these banquet tables to-night —was the best .constitutional system they had established. Other features there are in plenty, the industry, the independence' of the people, their thrift and success, their love of order, the firm impartial capable administration of justice, the grand organisation of sport with fine s'pirit, the progress of education, the love of literature—these and many other features were dwelt on, making a splendid picture of New Zealand of to-day, and not forgetting "suggestions for methods of making the future even more splendid. . MR MASSEY REPLIES. The Right Hon. \V. Massey replied with great briskness. Hearing him no one would suspect that he had gone through a • severe election contest. He had found himself in unexpected political difficulty. Policy he avoided completely. He was the most cheerful of optimists, Sir John Findlay, and described the social .and political fabric, Mr Massey launched out with enthusiasm on its wealth, and rapidly returning prosperity. The imports, he said, are astonishing and the secondary industries of a development amazing to all who looked into them. The credit of the country was never so good, and we have been offered a million at 3 per cent., for example. Passing from this optimism—which acted as a tonic on all present—he dwelt on Imperial affairs, the Dominion’s new status, which he explained, and he ended with, strong, reference to our position as a member of the Empire, and our duties and privileges as Empire-builders. A great burst of cheers greeted the end of Mr Massey’s speech, and after a toast, of thanks, proposed by Sir Francis, to the chairman, and drunk with musical honours, the proceedings dosed, every one pleased that the function lhad gone off so well.