GENERAL BIRDWOOD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17954, 5 June 1920, Page 9

GENERAL BIRDWOOD

RECEPTION IN WELLINGTON,

NEW ZEALANDERS EULOGISED.

VALUE OF Till; BRITISH NAVY.

(Fkom Odb Own Cobrespondent.) WELLINGTON, June 4. ■' ho official luncheon -given by tho Gov-cj-imifeut to General Birdwood tins afternoon was a moat successful iunotion. I'ilo i'nmo Minister, in proposing tlio health of tho General, referred to tho importance of tlie visits of tho Prince of Wales and of such a distinguished. suid;er as General liirdwood. He mentioned, aiso, the coining visit, in ill is official capacity as GovernorGeneral, of Lord Jellicoo, and also tho coming visit of ttie British journalists, observant and able 111011, who would givo their lueas ot this country and of its citizens to tho people 011 tho other sido of the world, in one phrase ivlr Massev summed up tho success of the Prince's visit. Ho said it was extraordinary how that blue-eyed, fair■hairod Anglo-Saxon boy has appealed to the Hearts and ininds of the people of this country. Nothing like liis reception had ever happened here, andi lie doubted if anything like it would ever be experienced again. He extended a most cordial "welcome to General Birdwood.

General Birdwood, who was received with c.ieers and the singing of "For he's a jolly good fellow, spoke at length of his experiences with tho Now Zcolanders in Egypt and on Galhpoli, and expressed his regTet Uiat lie had not had mora to do with them j. r f lnce * At ou ° tune he was hopeful that there mkht have been formed an Australian and New Zealand Army, but that oould not do arranged Ho mentioned that no had seen a deal of tile Now Zoalanders 111 tho -South African war, when he was 011 .Lord Kitchener's staff, and was deputed to look after the colonial troops. He paid tributes to many of tho New Zealanders who nad fought and died in tho war, and to others who had oonio safely through. Especially ho mentioned General Russell), rltojugh esteem iii which ho was held tugh Command, which had decided, ' the war ' la d continued, to promote him to the command of an army corps. In the course of a lengthy speech General Birdwood impressed upon his hearers the necessity of a close association between New Zoaland and Australia in matters of defence. I hey should stand shoulder to shoulder see eye to oye, andi bs> one nation for d<y tonsive purposes. Also, ho urged the necessity for close association with the British Navy. He said, with full confidcnce, that thero was no better unit on the western front than tho New Zealand Division, and that ne knew also to bo the opinion of >1 , Command. During liia visit to Australia ho had visited the Dimtroon Military College, and had made a point of seeing the New Zealand boys. There, they were, a fine, smart, lot of boys, and they would' be pleased to hear that the senior boy, and he believed also tho second boy, vvas a New Zealander. That was a very lino record, considering the small population ?T -Jn° , c ] omiul P n - As to supporting tho British Navy, ho said that this was essential for New Zealand and Australia, because they never knew when tho Navy might be wanted in two places. Our needs out here migh„ be very great at a, time when tho if u r vy mlght nofc h° able to give us nil the force we required, so that we might nave to depend upon our own strong right