"PATRIOTISM."

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 13069, 8 May 1913, Page 7

"PATRIOTISM."

BRAVE. BRITISH HEARTS

SPEECH BY CAPTAIN HALSEY

(Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, last night. An a,ddress was given by Captain Halsey m the Town Hall to-day to a gathering of 3000 school children. The Governor -was present, as was also the Hon. H. D. Bell, acting-Minister for Education. Captain Halsey expressed pleasure at having the opportunity of addressing the large gathering of young New Zealanders there assembled. The subject of his remarks that morning, he said, was to be "Patriotism." In 1769 Captain Cook visited Poverty Bay, and afterwards went to Mercury Bay, and planted the Union Jack, which had flown over New Zealand ever since. In 1840, when the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, every person m New Zealand became a member of the great British Empire. All those who had come to New Zealand from afar were Englishmen, and they should be proud of it. What, he asked, was the Union Jack? It meant "union," and "union" meant "strength." They »must have strength m the Empire to keep that Union Jack floating over every one of its shores. His and their ancestors had slaved to make the Empire what it was. But for them the young people could not be well and happy as he found them m this great dominion of New Zealand. The duty of the present generation was to follow m the footsteps of their ancestors, and he urged them to give some small portion "of each day to thoughts about Imperialism, v. • In explaining the Union Jack, Captain Halsey pointed out the three crosses of St. George, St. Patrick, and St. Andrew, meaning respectively husbandman, nobleman, and true manliness. He urged that when the young people saw the Union Jack, they should remember what the Uni6n Jack stood for, and they should also remember what those crosses stood ,for, and try and live up to the lessons. Captain Halsey related some stirring examples 'of true manly discipline, as displayed' by Britishers both ashore and afloat. (He concluded by a touching reference to' the heroism displayed by the members of the Scott Antarctic party. They had the true courage that every Britisher should have, and they faced death nobly. "It was," he declared "a true example of British manliness." The fathers and mothers of those present had given xvp much to contribute the great oattleship which he had, the honor to command, and from what he had seen while m New Zealand he felt that they were prepared to do more. The children should prepare themselves to do likewise, and they could only do that by living the lives that their King expected them to live. The speaker referred to the grand part which New- Zealand had played m the South African war, and, as an inspiration to his youthful 'audience, he quoted the inscription which had been placed on the gate erected to the memory of those -tf'ho had lost their lives. in South Africa: "They who have passed leave to us who pass 1 an undying example." As a further inspiration, Captain Halsey quoted from Macaulay's "Lays of Ancient. Rome" — ■ > • r "How can a man ate better than by facing fearful odds, For the ashes of his fathers and the tempies of his sods?" At the conclusion of, his address Captain Halsey was heartily cheered by the children. ■ - '