THE LATE LORD LLOYD

Patea Mail, 18 April 1941, Page 3

THE LATE LORD LLOYD

A STRIKING TRIBUTE The following striking tribute to the late Lord Lloyd received by the Wellington branch of the Navy League will be read with interest at the present time. The writer says: — "It is hardly necessary to dilate upon the irreparable loss sustained by the Navy League Wea Cadet Corps in the death of its great leader, J.£id Lloyd. That loss will be felt, and felt deeply, by every officer, jns t raw or and cadet. In all that he was, in everything that ’he did, Lord Lloyd was truly great. Deeply religious and a sincere,' practical Christian, he was the soul of iouour; utterly incorruptible. p ' As Diplomat, Administrator and ' as Statesman he was* entirely selfless., He was indifferent to honours or position, to popular applause or claraiour. Inspired by an intense, a passionate patriotism, he sought only to serve, and in liis country’a service he spared neither time, energy nor health. Had he cared to compromise with die unpractical idealism of the popular political thought of the ten years before the war, he might have held high office long ago. But compromise with what he knew to be false and believed to be disastrous was utterly impossi- ( ble to him. i

Instead he east away ambition, and as President of the Navy League, threw himself into the unpopular task j of warning the country of the dangers of disarmament and of reliance upon impossible schemes of collective security and meaningless pacts and treaties. , It is only now that the Nation is realising how right he was, how wellfounded his warnings. His advice was for a time neglected; yet he lived to / see thus country, the Dominions and the Grown Colonies strong and united as never before in defence of those ideals for which he stood. Underlying all his great administrative and political gifts was a real and genuine charm and humanity which won the personal affection and regard of all those who knew him well. He had a great love for youth, and the Sea Cadet Corps was probably nearer to his heart than any other of the great causes for which he fought. In all his many preoccupations he was never too busy or too harassed with affairs to devote time to our problems. In his mauy journey's at home and overseas, lie was always concerned to know whether there was in the towns he proposed to visit a sea Cadet Corps that he might inspect and encourage. He as not interested in numbers. It was quality that attracted him, and he desired always to make the Sea Cadet Corps a Corps d ’Elite, pre-eminent amongst youth organisations for discipline, efficiency and loyalty. But ho also, had a deep personal interest in each individual Cadet, Officer and Instructor, and his advice and inHuencc were always at their disposal. Many a Sea Cadet owes more than ho t-an ever repay to Lord Lloyd’s personal work on his behalf. We in the Sea Cadets have lost in Lord Lloyd both a great and inspired leader and a sincere personal friend. But there remains to us his glowing example of self-sawificing serviico; pure patriotism and shining honour, which will live for ever. . 4 it m .