THE NEWS IN WELLINGTON.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13647, 12 February 1913, Page 5

THE NEWS IN WELLINGTON.

RKEfciE MINISTER'S TRIBUTE TA r

TH^ DEiiD.

I^aiSEET ANI> A THRILL OF PRjTDB-

(Special to "The Colonist.' s>

WelUngton J( Feb..H. !■■: -''Quite uiibelievalile," this wa§ : tho,'jlVim© Minister's comment whea the^.. [first iroundia.bout message came- from T,\;ith it& suggestion o^ deep^ tragedy^, Mr. Massey'a attitude wa®, typical of most Wellington people Who. read tto> news, ai}<Ji puzzled 6»yier ; tih©. possible altsrnatiye readings:, of ' tho. cable till late ii> the aftern.<*pn f . whe^ corroßoivation crw^e, and. si gas. of publiomour,ning were quickly observable. City t.men,,, homjeiAvard bound .in., tho crowdea; trap, ears, talked of the An&arctic exg^,.difciba with an- altogether new and yiyidl: realisation of-the dangcra. oncounteried; bat calmly recorded, usually as a mai>-. ter of course. . ■ .

A: wireless m^ssag-rv announcing the. dfeaster was sent by the. Premier to, bis Exceltencv* the Grovenior,. w^o was unveiling at Ship Cbve- a memorial: to> the groat ex?>lnrer,Capiain Cook. 'To-night, ..wit3i:tH© «:nl news beyond;doufet; tho Efon. Mr; Massey paid this tributo to the dead heroes.:. "I liav©i hearcl.Avith tihs keenest regret the news* that/Captain, Scott and sev'STal of hig bravo ■companions, have gone the. way o£ mahy others who have •■ dt xiifferent tim6«-lost thoir lives in the pursuit of sciehtine and geographical^\kriowledge.; OA'iQJDoa'Sions1 such a«'this on© carinot ChteljiY thinking "of ■ - explorers .such as

whose names ar e household words today ."aud who&e memory will be respect■od i'or ail time. But whilst we mourn thai valuable lives that have b>ecn lo&t, -sand whilst our sincoio sympathy 'goes ■out to fc'u> bereaved widow ot Captain Soott, and to the widows and relatives -<ii tho bravo men who hu\o leit their •bofl.es witluu th 0 Antaictic circle, people ■ol'th© Bntibh uicp cannot help icchng a thrill oi pride "l the iiicc tha\. courage, ojit juid tenacity oi" purpot,©' aro still qualities pwyfa-esbed by our ie.lov, counirjmcn in a degice not surpassed by ttoo pcoplo of any other nation, and that thoi-e &m no//, as ahvajs, men ot i3ritieh birth wiw will risk their lives ior the ,purpu6t>of carrying the ilag.of the Emphx> i<4 tho uttermost ends ■ot the Wth."