A DISTINGUISHED DIPLOMAT

Otago Witness, Issue 3040, 19 June 1912, Page 13

A DISTINGUISHED DIPLOMAT

RECEPTION IN CHRISTCHURCH

CHRISTCHURCH, June 14. The Right Hon. Jas. Bryce (British Ambassador to the United States) arrived in Christenurch to-day. and was accorded a civic reception by the Mayor. In the course of an interesting speech Mr Bryce said he took it as a sign that New Zealanders rejoiced to know that public men in England were as anxious to understand the people in this country as the people here were to understand them. He thoroughly appreciated the "sentiments of loyalty. The public men at Home knew that there was no part of the Empire in which those sentiments glowed with a truer flame than they did in New Zealand. They had known that for many years, and the latest proof of New Zealand's loyalty was not needed to let the Old Country know how anxious this Dominion was in that respect. It was a great pleasure also to visit one part of the country after another and one city after another and to note that every city liad its own characteristics and had something that was distinctive and unlike other cities. Passing on to other subjects Mr Bryce gave a long, clear, and interesting address on municipal and general government, comparing ISiew Zealand with the Old Country and showing the origin of municipal rule, the best methods followed, and the effect upon the well-being of the people. He also touched on the efforts made by the Government to preserve the native forests, which, he said, were an invaluable asset to a country. The address was listened to with deep interest, and at its conclusion the speaker was loudly applauded. This afternoon Mr Bryce attended the capping ceremony at Canterbury College. ARRIVAL OF RIGHT HON. JAMES BRYCE. The Right Hon. Uas. Bryce, British Ambassador to Amencaf and ivus Bryce, arrived in Dunedin by the tirst express irom the north on Saturday afternoon, and on arrival were welcomed at the station by the Acting Mayor (Mr W. Burnett) and members oi tne City Council, and, alter being briefly bidden welcome to the city, were driven to the Town Hall, where Mr Bryce was accorded a c.vic welcome. iYIT Bryce carries his Vs years with some, thing oi a patriarchal air, but his movements show that his physical vigour has not in the least diminisned, while nis rapid and decisive manner of speaking, and tne interesting address whicn he delivered at his reception indicate that his clearness of vision, nis ability to grasp a salient point, or his knowledge of tne human character have in no wise become dulled with the passing of time. On being approached by a Daily Times, reporter in the ministerial carriage attached to the express train, he stated himself to be -somewhat busy witSßfcorrespondonce, etc., but courteously granted a lew moments' conversation, the keynote of which was an expression of the pleasure he had experienced on the journey down in viewing the country through which he had passed, especially the coastal scenery south of Oamaru. "I admired very much," he said, '"your snowcapped mountains, half hidden by fog and mist though they were, the splendid stretches of Canterbury plains and the corn country down to Timaru. I have got a very fine idea of the wealth of the South Island and of the resources of the country, and I feel sure that some day you will have an enormous population, for you cannot help being prosperous agriculturally. It is a wonderful country with wonderful resources. Seeing is like nothing else, and I have realised more fully after seeing it what immense capabilities your country has, and what its future must be. I had expected prosperity and development, and everything I have seen quite comes up t° my expectations'." Mr Bryce would not say anything further, politically or otherwise, but after stating his pleasure at having met many of our prominent politicians, concluded with a word of praise on the newspaper press of the Dominion, remarking that in the bigger papers he had seen there was a pleasing fulness of English news and a good deal of news from the United States. CIVIC RECEPTION.

The civic chamber at the Town Hall was crowded on Mr and Mrs Bryce's arrival, and amongst those present besides Sir G. M'Loan and the Hon. J. B. Callan, M.L.C., Messrs G. M. Thomson, James Allen and C. K Statham, M.P.'s, were the following consular representatives: Messrs T. .Fergus (Argentine), W. Fels (Germany), G. R Ritchie (Netherlands), and John Roberts (Italy)). The assemblage included also, Messrs M. Cohen, H. Pojand, M.P., J. R. Kirk, and F. Pirani (members of the Education Commission), Mr G. Hogben (Inspector-general of Education), Mr J. M. Ritchie (whose guest Mr Bryce is in Dunedin), and a large number of influential citizens.

The Acting Mayor (Mr W. Burnett) prefaced his remarks by apologising for the absence of the Mayor (Mr John Wilson), and expressing sympathy in tho cause of that absence. Tney had met to welcome Mr Bryce as a distinguished author, diplomat, and—patriot, and most of them were well conversant with his great literary work, '• The American Commonwealth." It was a standard work, and acknowledged; by the Americans themselves, who were most critical, as being the ablest book written on their Commonwealth. It was a work that any historical student must read with great interest. They would feel most interested, however, in Mr Bryce's career as a diplomat. When he was first sent to the United States there had been a certain amount of friction which, badly handled, might have led to warfare between two kindred nations of the same race, but by his tact, diligence, and extraordinary knowledge of the American character their visitor had averted anything of the kind; and the good understanding which now existed between the two nations was due to that tact, energy, and experience.—(Applause.) As a Scotch community they welcomed him as a Scotchman, and they were sorry that his 1 stay was not to b« of longer duration. He would find that they were most patriotic, and were determined by every means in their power to maintain that connection with

tho great Empire of "which they were all so proud.—(Applause.) ; ••

The Right Hon. Mr Bryce, who was received with extreme cordiality, thanked the citizens heartily or the kind welcome they had extended to him. He had had the privilege since he had come to New Zealand, about a fortnight age, of seeing three of their chief cities —this was now the fourth—of seeing a great deal of their country and of meeting a number of their leading men, and everywhere his wife and himself -bad received "the warmest possible welcome, and had been made to feel as old friends, and now he ventured' to consider himself as.among old friends.—(Applause.) It was inexpressibly pleasant to one who had long admired trie natural resources of their country and the energy they had thrown into its development to find his hopes and expectations surpassed by the reality. Mr Burnett had been kind enough to refer to the work that he had done in the United States. It was true that the results of it had been satisfactory, and that there waa very great cordialitv now existing between the people of the United States and the British Empire; but, at the same time; he could not claim for himself anything' like so much credit as had been given him that afternoon. In the course of events a fuller knowledge of each other had drawn both peoples closer together and old animosities had been forgotten. Causes sentimental as well as political had drawn together all who spoke the English tongue in all parts of the world. There had been influences which might possibly have at one time or another become the cause of serious friction, but he rejoiced to think that those causes had been removed by various treaties and arrangements, and it might now safely be said that there had never been a time since the unfortunate period ait the end of the eighteenth century, when by a series of unfortunate events the American colonies had been lost to England, when there had been so much good feeling between all branches of the British race.— (Applause.) One thing he had most looked forward to in coming to New Zealand had been to see the Scotch settlement. He had been just old enough to remember the time when very great interest in New Zealand had been aroused in Scotland and when the settlers were commencing to go out, and he had had the pleasure of coming into contact with one great man whose name they had commemorated in Port Chalmers*, ' and whose life _ and character were largely the inspiration - that sent Scotch settlers out here He believed he had had the honour as a child of being placed in the arms and receiving the blessing of Dr Chalmers—(Applause.) Ho had noticed since passing Timaru how the scenery had seemed to take on- a Scotch aspect and the tongues of those he met on the station platforms a Scotch accent. There was nothing more' beautiful than their harbour, with its steep and sunny slopes And the water lapping in and out like a Highland loch. He had noticed that there were four occupations in which they almost always found the Scotch engaged. They were banking, gardening, engineering (both marine and locomotive), and medicine, and it was pleasant to think that their countrymen were always found in those occupations which stood very high amongst tho practical" arts of the world. A 3 in Scotland, they had three patriotisms—for Scotland itself, for the United Kingdom, and for the Empire,—so in New Zealand had theif desire to make their country a great and prosperous nation, and the wider patriotism which linked them all together in a tio which had grown stronger and ■ stronger, and which would continue to do so in the future.—(Applause.) He had always heard it said, and had confirmed it since coming to the country, that there was no part of the Empire where men's hearts warmed move to the Imperial idea or where they were readier to make sacrifices for tho defence of the and the maintenance of security than in New Zealand. They at Home had long known it, and he found himself able when he went back to be able to tell them with the testimony of an eye-witness that nowhere was the Imperial connection more cherished. He could assure them that the feeling in Canada was just the same, and that there was not the slightest danger that she would ever join any other country. With its natural resources New Zealand should one day be a great agricultural country, and he was pleased to think it because agriculture was the industry with the greatest amount of permanent stability. The markets of Europe and of the United Kingdom were prepared to take their meat and their butter and cheese. The United States, which supplied the Homeland with <-o much in tho way of foodstuffs, would soon want all those foodstuffs for her own consumption on account of her great population, and it was therefore important that Canada and Australasia should be able to increase their exports to Europe and the United Kingdom. He had rejoiced to hear that their municipalities were being honestly capably, ana energetically administered, and that there seemed to be everywhere a feeling of satisfaction in the minds of their citizens with tho administration of their affairs.—(Applause.) They would no doubt all know what was meant by town-planning, and in this connection it was not too late for them to take advantage of what had been made known. He did not think there was any direction in which miinicipal activity could accomplish more thai by providing picture galleries, public librrjic.s, etc. It was not right to do for peoplo thing 3 which they should do for themselves, and thus make them dependent and sap their energy; but none of those considerations applied to the provision of the things he had mentioned. He had never visited a country where there seemed to bo so little poverty, and it did one good to see a country in! which the people were so much better off, healthier, and more comfortablo than they were in the Old Country. He trusted they would make New Zealand worthy not only of what Providence had endowed it with, but also of the best traditions of the race to which they belonged.—(Applause.)