MR MASSEY IN IRELAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19069, 15 January 1924, Page 4

MR MASSEY IN IRELAND.

Wonderful Reception at Belfast Great Imperial Ulsterman. MORE PATRIOTISM—LESS PARTY. L (Feom Ode Own Cobssspondent.) BELFAST, November 29. It was paonliarlv appropriate that we sailed, across the Irish Sea from Liverpool to Belfast in the good ship Patriotic, for here in Belfast the spirit of patriotism burns like a fire. Here our hosts at least have been fighting for years to maintain their status as part of the United Kingdom. Patriotism. Imperialism are part and parcel of their daily life. It is seen in the intense earnestness jvith which they toast his Majesty the King, with which they sing the National Anthem, and in the enthusiasm with which they receive the expression of any sentiments of loyalty. London is loyal in its matter-of-fact way, but in Belfast one feels that beneath the quiet and lawabiding demeanour of the citizens there is a smouldering fire ready to leap into flame at the first suggestion of separatism. Once having moved through the North of Ireland it is easy to understand how utterly impossible it is for the people to subject themselves to the rule or influence of the Southern race. Catholics and Protestants here, the North and the South, are as far apart as the poles. Thev can never mis. As lor Belfast itself, there appears not the slightest sign of unrest. Fine-looking, well-built policemen control the traffic and go about their Apparently peaceful avora.tion, but they carry their loaded revolvers at their belts, and they have not all got out of the habit of standing with their backs to the wall. Otherwise there is ve-ry little to distinguish Belfast from an ordinary provincial town of England. Tno poorer class of women go about with shawls over their heads instead of hats, and factory girls are always hatless. There is unemployment, hut it is not evident. Apparently it is a busy place, and prices are on a level with .those of London. ARRIVAL AT BELFAST. Arriving in the early dawn, we passed the miles of docks and shipping—an imposing sight. But we were to find that Belfast was a city of records. Not only has it the greatest shipbuilding yards m the Empire; it has the greatest, linen mill, the greatest rope works, the greatest single tobacco factory, the greatest whisky distillery, and, as Mr Massey humorously remarked in one of his speeches, the greatest Prime Minister of the British Empire. Sir James Craig is a man of mighty stature. Our party, chief of which were Mr Massev and Sir James and Lady Allen, were taken out by motors to Stormont Castle, the residence of the'Pnme Minister of Northern Ireland. There, too, the Governor, the Duke of Abercorn, was stayiug It is a castle of modern times, bunt five miles out from the centre of the city, bv an ambitious man of business who, having completed it, found himself with an income not large enough to keep it up. Today it is the “Chequers” of Northern Ireland, and on a site just near it is to be built the new House of Parliament. Lady Craig, it may here be stated, has proved herself as charming a hostess as she is beautiful. Although all things are quiet now, tnere is a tendency not to take too many risks. For instance, tile castle has a belt of barbed wire entanglements completely surrounding it. It is not an ostentatious fortification, but it is there among the trees and largely out of sight, and 60 soldiers provide a permanent guard. So careful was the Northern Government of Mr Massey’s safety that never during his movements about the country was he out of sight of a well-armed detective, and always on such motor journeys as he. took there was the mystery car just a hundred yards in the rear, its plain-clothes occupants ready for any emergency. > ULSTER HALL MEETING.^ First of the entertainments to-day in honour of New Zealand’s Prime Minister has been the luncheon in the historic LHster Hall, in which epoch-making meetings have been held for many years. The hosts were the Belfast Chamber of Commerce. The principal table was on the platform. Sir W. F. Coates, Bart., presided, and some of the others at the principal table were the Earl of Meath, Sir James Craig, the Right HonJ M. Andrews, M.P.. the Right Hon. HM. Pollock, M.P., Sir James Allen, and Sir George S. Clark. The great hall was full, and at the close of the lunch the seats in the galleries were occupied by friends who came to listen to the speeches. Among these were Lady Craig and Lady Allen. It is difficult to express in words -he spirit of enthusiasm and good-will which pervaded the whole gathering of loyal Ulstermen. Throughout the lunch an accomplished organist (Mr J. M'Keown) had been playing delightful selections which perhaps might have been considered as merely accompaniments to the hum of conversation, but when “the Loyal Toast’’ was proposed the magnificent organ boomed out, only to be equalled in its volume of sound by the voices of the Ulstermen as they sang tile National Anthem. The bare speeches occupy in the Belfast Telegraph to-night four * columns. Large double-column headings blazon forth the points of Mr Massey’s discourse. He covered a wide range of subjects and was listened to with obvious enthusiasm and interest. “Mr Massey speaks with exceptional fluency,” says the' Belfast Telegraph, “and at a speed which would test the skill of the most expert shorthand writer. Not a word, however, is lost, and the Prime Minister, with clarity and commanding vigour, drives home his arguments.” “THE BIG, IMPERIALISTIC ULSTERMAN. ’ ’ The Chairman submitted the toast of “The Prime Minister and Government of Now Zealand.” He extended a cordial welcome to the Prime Minister and to all the New Zealand visitors. Mr Massey, he said, was a son of Ulster of whom Ulster was justlv proud.—(Applause.) His whole career reflected glory on the place of his birth. Ho was one of the many truly great men contributed by Northern Ireland to the service of the State and the Empire, whose name would live in history. —(Applause.) Not inappropriately Mr Massey had been described as the John Bull of Greater Britain. They preferred to regard him as the big. Imperialistic Ulsterman, to whose robust, practical energv and unswerving devotion to duty the dominion of New Zealand, the British Empire, and the Allies were vastly and permanently indebted—(Applause.) Sir W. Coates wont on to give an epitome of Mr Massey’s career as a politician, as a Premier in peace and in war, and as a valued member of Imperial Conferences. Thev would do well, he said, with a few statesmen of Mr Massey’s calibre in the United Kingdom. They rejoiced in the fact that Mr Massey typically represented the whole-hearted desire of Nov? Zealand for an United Empire. Mr Masse*? was the only Prime Minister to have held office' during the pre-war, the war, and the post-war periods. He came to them laden with honours worthily bestowed bv his Sovereign- by great British cities and institutions, by the Governments of France and Belgium. They gladly hailed him as a patriotic Britisher whose record shed lustre on Northern Ireland, as a dominant servant of the Empire to the consolidation and development of which his life’s work had been devoted. PRIME MINISTER’S SPEECH. The toast was honoured with tremendous enthusiasm, and then followed the singing of “Rule. Britannia,” with solo, and organ accompaniment, and a very stirring chorus. Mr Massey said he was particH*r!v struck with the enthusiasm with which “Rule. Britannia,” had been sung. “I want to state that I belong to the country of the British Empire where the maritime instincts are probably as strongly developed as they are in the British Isles themselves. There are no men or women who have not the salt in their blood. Wo glory in the fact that we have a sailor King, a sailor Prince, and we are proud to have in our midst as Governor-General that great admiral. Earl Jcllicoe.” In bis introductory remarks Mr Massey amused his audience with his recent experience with a gramophone. He had been persuaded to aid in the making of a record, and he made what he thought was a nice little speech. Then the gentleman in charge said to him. “Would yon like to hear what you have said?” “I said I would,” continued Mr Massey, “and do you know that wretched thing talked hack at me in t}ie Ulster dialect.”—(Laughter.) He really «}id not know he had the Ulster dialect, but it was quite certain those things never lied, and he was not going to he allowed to forgot that he was an Ulsterman. He did not want, to forget it. MORE PATRIOTISM—LESS PARTY. ■ Mr Massey touched on the political situation here. “I am not going to refer to party politics,” ho said, “for I have as rnuci) as I want in New Zealand, but I will say this, I would Uka to see in the

elections in Groat Britain a little more patriotism and a little less party. It would be better for every one of us, better for the Empire.” Tho Premier then went on to review the post-war commemcial conditions. Many people said that if they could but settle the difficulties in Europe prosperity would return to Britain, and unemployment would cease. He was not so sure of that, though thev should all like to see the trouble between France and Germany brought to a satisfactory conclusion. W hat, he was thinking of was that at one time Great Britain, if not the workshop of the world, was one of tho principal workshops. Its manufactures were sent into almost every country; but a change had taken place, and now almost every country was producing its own manufactured goods, and not only doing that, but many of them were taking advantage of what was called Britain's “Free Trade” policy, and sending their goods into British ports. That, he believed, was one of the principal causes of unemployment. DEVELOPMENT IN THE DOMINIONS. In order to meet that, to a certain extent, tlie British Government was arranging that for the overseas countries which require development money would be advanced for five years at low rates of interest on the business understanding that that money was expended in purchasing commodities manufactured in British workshops. That advantage would be taken of that proposal he did not doubt. His own country of New Zealand has entered upon important new developments in the way of generating hydro-electricity, building up-to-date roads, and completing railways already in course of construction. Only a few weeks ago his colleague, the Minister of Public Works, telegraphed to him that he would require within the near future four million pounds’ worth of metal manufactures. and that, he hoped to place the orders in Great Britain. He had no doubt that other dominions would be able to do something in the same way. In 1913 —the year before tho war—New Zealand purchased in British markets ten million pounds’ worth of goods. For the first six months of the present year they purchased over £10,000,000 worth. In 1913 their exports were £23.000,000. while for the last year they were £47,000,000. He could not say if other dominions had advanced in tho same proportion, but they were all making progress. Mr Massey then gave his opinions with regard to Freetrade and Protection. It was a case of free imports on the one side, not freetrade, for that was not freetrade; free imports on Britain’s side and protection on the part of other countries. Ho had no hesitation in saying that it was a system which was detrimental to the interests of Britain and British people, and he thought it had a great deal to do with the unemployment from which Britain was suffering at the present time. ULSTERMEN IN THE DOMINION. He wa« very glad to notice that Ulster had adhered to its representation in the British Parliament, He would be glad to see the Prime Minister of Ulster at tho Imperial Conference, but he could not help thinking that the British Parliament would be none the worst, but on the contrary a great deal better, for tlie expression of patriotism and practical politics from the Ulster members. He was happy to say that they had many representatives of Northern Ireland in New Zealand, men who were quite competent to hold their own in agriculture, in commerce, in finance, and in public life. There were a number of Ulstermen and sons of Ulstermen in the New Zealand Parliament and Government, and although there might bo differences of opinion in respect of political matters, they managed to give satisfaction. So far as he had been able to read and see for himself, the outlook in Ulster was good. Ho had heard there were likely to be important developments in connection with minerals, and that the necessary arrangements were already being made, In; regard to agriculture he had been reading about what was expected from the new. variety of flax seed which would presently be distributed. If that led to a heavier yield than had been the case in the past, then it would be a splendid thing, not only for the farmers, but for every class of the community.—(“Hear, hear.”) When the representatives of the overseas dominions came over here from almost the ends of the earth, the thought that was uppermost in his mind was that, ns public men and private citizens, they held this great Empire in trust for those coming after them. They were practically trustees for future generations, and it was their duty and their business to endeavour to leave it better than they found it, to pass it on intact, and to make such arrangements that it would go on increasing its usefulness, not only for its own citizens but for tho whole universe.—(Applause.) SEA POWER, If the Empire was to together, as thev earnestly hoped it would, thev must be ready to defend it. Here again the lessons of the war came in, and they had to recollect that Britain was a sea Power, built on sea power, and maintained by sea power. The sea was their national highway, and if in future ar enemy was able to cut the communications between the different parts of the Empire, particularly between tne various countries of the Empire and Britain itself, then the Empire came to an end. Though he was glad to think there was no prospect of w-ar in the near future, still there had been very dangerous periods even since tho Armistice, was agreed to in 1918 When peace was proclaimed it was quite right to demobilise the army, to reduce the navy and air force, but it was possible to overdo these things, and he was afraid at one time that tho Empire -was goir" to be left without sufficient defence, especially as far as naval defence was concerned. However, he had recently an opportunity of witnessing the great naval ••j.iaw at Portsmouth of lo miles of ships al' up-to-date, because not one of them was completed before 1914, manned bv sailors much fewer in number than during the war, but quite competent to defend their Empire in time of trouble u it became necessary. BRITAIN AND AMERICA. There was no sign or indication yet that they were approaching the time when men would beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks and leam tho art of war no more. That time was not yet. That it would come he was convinced, and they would be a great deal nearer to it if in future they were able to induce the English-speaking peoples, Britain and America, to stand together for one purpose and one purpose only, and that was to sav to nations who were inclined to draw the sword that disputes between nations must bo referred to and settled by an international court of arbitration. In tho meantime, it was their obvious duty to provide and have ready a sufficient naval defence in tho event of its being required. He looked upon New Zealand and Northern Ireland as two countries in some respects very much alike; similar in their characteristics and actuated by the same patriotic spirit of loyalty to the Crown and love and admiration for the Empire which their ancestors built up, and of which they were citizens and trustees today. Their duty was to go on doing the work which their hands found to do, doing it, willingly and quietly, but firmly.—(Applause.) . „ SIR JAMES CRAIG. The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland (Sir James Craig, Bart.), in returning thanks to Mr Massey, said the speech be had delivered was full of the very mutter that they Ulstermen loved to listen to. It, was patriotic, business-like, sensible, and encouraging. He would like to say how much they would welcome Prime Ministers from other parts of the Empire at. any time to listen to them, and to profit by what they said; but there was none they would more welcome in that b'stonc hall than Mr Massey, the Prime Minister of New Zealand* Mr'Massey had held office for 12 long and arduous years; he was loved not only in his own country nut wherever Britishers gathered together, and they would judge rightly by the ringing voice in which ho expressed his sentiments that day what a stalwart he was to uphold the flag on the other side of the globe. It was an especial pleasure to have him in their midst, and to wish him God-speed on his journey back to New Zealand.. They hoped when he arrived there, heartened by his reception in tlie capital of Northern Ireland, ho would remember at all times that a little preference by New Zealand lo Ulster-manu-factured goods would bring a largo profit to those of his own homeland. He would like to sav to Mr Massey that they in Ulster thoroughly appreciated the inarch of science as far as aviation was concerned, and there was no member of the Associated Chambers of Commerce present that day who was not behind the movement so far as local requirements were concerned.. It was possible that in a short time they would have a regular aerial service between Manchester and "other towns on tho other side and Belfast. At all events, Mr Massey might take it from him that those hard-headed business men would take advantage of any advances that were made in science for the benefit of the people. They thanked Mr Massey for coining among them, and ho (tho Prime Minister) was sure the pleasure was-as great to him as ir, was to them that Mr Massev should revisit his ■ native country, and he had no doubt that if anything happened to him (Sir James) as Prime Minister of i Northern Ireland they might possibly tempt | Mr Massey to come over here and fill that position. In conclusion, tlie Prime Minis-

ter said he honed that the connection between tho Homo Country and the far-dis-tant dominions would always bo warm and hearty. Ho wished Mr Massey God-speed on his journey back to the country over which ho had ruled so successfully for many years, and ho would carry with him tho love and affection of the people of Ulster.— (Applause.) ___________