SIR HENRY BRADDON.

Otago Witness, Issue 3764, 4 May 1926, Page 7

SIR HENRY BRADDON.

VISIT TO WELLINGTON. THE ENGLISH SPEAKING UNION. | iF.aoii Ocr Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, April 2G. All the old-timers in athletics in Canterbury, Otago, and bouthland will remember as a youug man Sir Henry Braddon, who was a brilliant Kugby iootballer and prominent generally m athletics. To-day he is in Wellington, en route to Europe, with Lady Brauuoa. At a comparatively early age young Barddon left me Bank of Austiaiasia and went to Sydney, where he has hau a very successful business career, and he is now superintendent ot the tirm of Dalgety and Company for Australia. Young Braddon was a member of the first New Zealand Rugby team to visit Australia. That was away back in 1884, and ever since then Sir Henry has continued to take a keen interest in the game. After the tour of th® 1884 team be resided permanently in Australia, and was quickly regarded as one of the most skilful players in New South Wales. When his playing days were over, he helped the game along in other ways. Through the lean years he and other staunch supporters were not discouraged, and the position which the Rugby Union gam® occupies in New South Wales to-day is dua in no small measure to the spirit with which Sir Henry and his colleagues hava carried on over a long period. He occupied the presidential chair of the New South Wales Rugby Union for many years, and ihe progress made in recent years has given cause lor great satisfaction. “ This year we are penetrating Newcastle and one or two places in the country." Sir Henry said. “ The game is ail right, and this is almost wholly due to th® teams which New Zealand has sent over. Every year has shown steady progress." 50 far as the standard of play was concerned, he stated that there was a marked Improvement in methods. While he never attempted to argue on the question of how the teams of to-day would fare against th® • giants of >ld," he was prepared to admit that the game had attained a very high level. To Mr S. S. Dean, chairman of th® New Zealand Rugby Union. Sir Henry Braddon conveyed the appreciation of th® New South Wales Rugby Union for all that the New Zealand Union had done to help the game along. New Zealand, he said, had always sent teams over, even in times when there had been little prospect of serious 01 When he represented New Zealand Sir Henry Braddon was resident in Southland. He has also represented Tasmania, ana was a New South Wales representative footballer from 1885 to 1892. In other branches of snort he w;is also prominent, gaining he noma at Ticket (for Tasmania), and rowing (tor New South Wales) , p 51 Henry is a son of the former 1 vernier of Tasmania, who helped to frame th® CnmmonwMUh Constitution He ts presi.jen of the Australian branch of the t-ngiisn Si caking Union, and was entertained her. to-dav be the members ol the Wellington branch In a speech, he said it had been his lot. in'New South Wales *o welcome ha.t a dozen New Zealand lawn tennis teams, and probably more than a dozen 'ootball teams. His relation to New Zealand sport was still recognised in Australia, although it was as far back as 1884 when he last played football in New Zealand. When New Zealand won football matches in Australia, as they often did, he felt proud of the fact because of his former connection with th® Dominion, and, on the other hand, when an Australian lawn tennis team won against a New Zea lad team he was natural !v elated as a representative of New South Wa-'es. Sir Henry said that the English Speaking Union was a movement which he had very much at heart. The union could do much to ensure that the two great branches of th* English speaking people should underajana one' another better and co-operate more freely as a matter of dutv towards the rest of the world, and that, at a time when cooperation was verv sadlv needed, petty difierences were often allowed to assume too much importance. Thp speaker humorously alluded to some of the smaller differences, and also pointed out that, in several, important aspects thev were really like on* people. He described America's difficulty in coming into the war at an ear'ier stag® than she did, and emphasised the wholehearted way in which America acted when her rights were infringed. He olso spoke on the tremend ms importance of her intervention in augmenting the forces of th® Allies, and the assistance she had given by means of her enormous wealth. In conclusion, lie quoted the memorable words of Earl Haig, namely: "Americans and British from all parts of the world have buried with their dead in the cemeteries of France th* meraorief of old mistakes.’