LORD JELLICOE AT INGLEWOOD.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 October 1921, Page 6

LORD JELLICOE AT INGLEWOOD.

SPLENDID WELCOME ACCORDED. STRIKING SPEECH TO CHILDREN. LESSONS OF THE WAR. ’ The visit to Inglewood of the Gov-ernor-General and Lady Jellicoe on Saturday afternoon was a notable event for the town, and in fine weather a large crowd had assembled on the Domain when the vice-regal party arrived shortly after two o’clock. The attendance included returned soldiers, veterans, members of Friendly Societies, Scouts, and school children. After the rendering of the National Anthem, the Mayor (Mr. J. R. Sutherland) conducted Their Excellencies to the pavilion and briefly welcomed them. The town clerk (Mr. E. Olson) read the following address of welcome:—

“May it please Y T our Excellency, we, the Mayor, councillors and burgesses of the Borough of Inglewood, extend to Your Excellency ahd Lady Jellicoe a most hearty welcome on this, your first visit, to our town. We desire to take the earliest* opportunity of assuring you. as the representative of His most Gracious Majesty the King, of our continued loyalty and attachment to the throne. We view with keen appreciation the high honor conferred upon this Dominion by His Majesty the King in appointing as his representative one who during the great war held the responsible office of Admiral of the Fleet, to which all owe such a debt of gratitude for the pre-dominant part which it took in preserving that freedom so much appreciated by all loyal subjects of our great Empire. “We trust that your term of office may be marked with continued and increasing prosperity to the Dominion, and that, the feeling of common loyalty and obligation which now so happily unites us with the Mother Country may be more firmly cemented. Finally, we extend to Your Excellency, Lady Jellicoe and family qur most cordial good wishes for your future health and prosperity and for many years of continued happiness.

“Signed, 'on behalf of the Mayor, councillors and burgesses of the Borough of Inglewood, this 29 th day of October, 1921.—J. R. G. Sutherland, Mavar: E. Olson, town clerk.”

After this procedure Lady Jellicoe was the recipient of a bouquet, the presentation being made by little Miss Spurdie. LORD JELLICOE’S REPLY. Cheers greeted His Excellency as he rose to reply to the civic address. H? said: — “Your Worship, councillors and burgesses of the Borough of Inglewood.— 1 thank you. as His Majesty’s representative, for the words in which you express yojir continued loyalty and attachment to the throne, and for the kindly manner in- which you greet me on this my first visit to Inglewood. “I am very sensible of the, honor conferred on me by His Majesty, and I deeply appreciate the words in which you express appreciation of my appointment. and of such services as I was enabled to render during the great war as an officer in the Royal Navy. I take this opportunity, on behalf of my comrades of that great service, to thank you for the tribute which you pay to the fleet for its share in helping to preserve the Empire in the time of its greatest need.

“Her Excellency and I are deeply touched by the good wishes expressed to ourselves and our family for health and happiness. We cordially reciprocate these - good wishes and we earnestly share your hope that the near future may be marked by a return of general prosperity throughout the Dominion, and by a continuation of loyal co-operation throughout the Empire.”

His Excellency added: “I cannot see a ' great gathering like this without thanking you from the bottom of m i heart for your presence here, and in thi lam sure. Her Excellency joins. You have paid us a very great compliment; you have done honor to His Majesty’s representative, and T thank you very much indeed. We are also grateful to

you for giving us the opportunity of meeting so many of the inhabitants of Inglewood. lam especially pleased to see here so many veterans of the old wars and so many soldiers returned from the great war. T am also glad to see here representatives of the great friendly societies of the Dominion, and specially to greet some of my comrades of the Forest ers.” VALUE OF UNITY. r Their Excellencies then met the returned soldiers and veterans, and members of the Borough Council and their wives. His Excellency addressed the gathering, stating that he had been asked to say a few words to the children: “There are one or two things which I would like the children, not only of this district, but all over New Zealand, to know. The first is that they should bequeath to their children and to remember throughout their lives the splendid loyalty shown by their forefathers of the Empire and of the Dominion. The children, I have no doubt, have realised already that the victory vouchsafed by Almighty God to the arms of the Empire during the late war, was under Divine Providence, due to the fact that the Empire was united. Unity is strength, and so long as the Empire retains the unity, which was shown so well in August, 1914, so long is there no <langer to the freedom of the members of the Empire.

•‘Let the children remember what it would have meant had we not been victorious in the great war. New Zealand might have been by this time a German colony and New Zealanders would have lost that freedom which they, in common with other members of the. Empire, so greatly value. There-

fore don’t forget in the future to preach unity amongst all the members of the Empire, and carry down the tradition of loyalty to the King and unity of the Empire. His Majesty the King is the tie which binds together different portions of the Empire, and loyalty to His Majesty means unity of the Empire. “There is one other , thing I would

like the children to recollect—that is the work of those who started to form the colony. Read the history of New Zealand's early settlers, children, and you will see a record of courage •endurance and self-sacrifice which brought. New Zealand to the pitch of prosperity which it now enjoys. lam particularly glad to see so many Boy Scouts present, particularly such splendid specimens of the boyc of New Zealand. There is one thing the Scout movement does teach, and that is the spirit of selfsacrifice, the spirit of comradeship, and

the helping of others, and there are principles which every boy and girl should endeavor to carry out. I would like to see the number of Boy Scouts in this district doubled or trebled, because there is nothing which can form character better than the Boy Scout movement. There is no militarism encouraged in this. Citizenship is what is preached by the Boy Scout movement, and there is nothing better a country can produce than good citizens. ’ In asking for a holiday for the children, the Governor-General conveyed to the children of the district the best wishes of Her Excellency and’ himself for their future prosperity. Further cheers were given for Their Excellencies as they left the grounds. They were entertained at afternoon tea in the Inglewood Hotel and departed shortly after 3 o’clock for Waitara. The town was liberally decorated with bunting in honor of the visit.

It will soon be time to get your Christmas mail away to the Old Country and readers are advised to order their private greeting cards in good time. A splendid range of sample I cards can be seen at Wilson Bros., I Printers and Stationers, Stratford, and orders placed with them will be completed promptly and carefully.