VOICE OF THE EMPIRE

Taranaki Daily News, 27 May 1933, Page 9

VOICE OF THE EMPIRE

rAR FLUNG LANDS LINKED UNIQUE RADIO BROADCAST. ■ . \ DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS HEARD. Though the seas divide, the peoples of the British Empire are one. This was memorably demonstrated on Wednesday evening, when the most comprehensive broadcast yet undertaken in the Southern Hemisphere was made under the auspices of the Royal Empire Society. Through the tremendous strides made in the science of wireless communication hundreds of thousands of people were privileged to hear patriotic addresses by distinguished statesmen in all parts of the Empire. The reception throughout New Zealand was remark? ably good. . The occasion was the celebration of Empire Day. The Australian Broadcasting Commission, the PostmasterGeneral’s. Department, and Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Ltd., collaborated in providing. all facilities, and had the co-operation of ■■ the British Broadcasting Corporation, the New Zealand Broadcasting Board,, and the Postmasters-General in Great Britain, New Zealand and Canada. The control centre of the broadcast was the Sydney Division of the Australian Broadcasting Coinmission. The programme began at 9.30, a.m., New Zealand time. The first speaker was the Rt. Hon. J. A. Lyons, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia, who extended greetings and good wishes to the Motherland and to kinsmen in other parts of the Empire. He was followed by Sir Hugh Denison, chairman of the Empire Day dinner at Sydney, who said: “To-night we actually speak with one voice, .all owing allegiance to one Crown and paying our respects to one great • flag—the Union Jack.”

Next listeners-in heard the chairman at Christchurch proposing the toast of “The Governor-General.” . This was responded to by the GovernorsGeneral of Australia, Rt. Hon. Sir Isaac Isaacs, and by the GovernorGeneral of New Zealand, Lord Bledisloe, who referred with pride to the unswerving loyalty to the Crown of his Majesty’s subjects in the southern seas. Speaking from London, Lord Jellicoe, president of the Empire Day movement, expressed his admiration at the magnificent spirit which had dominated the whole Empire during the very difficult year through which the world was passing, and enjoined the people to continue to support Empire unity both in spirit and in deed. Similar sentiments were expressed by the Duke of Connaught, who said that the manner in which the British Empire was endeavouring to overcome its economic, problems was an object lesson to the whole world. His Highness declared: “We • can ’ and will triumph over the many difficulties that beset us.”

Other speakers included the president of the Victorian ’branch of the Royal Empire Society, Sir James Barrett; the Lieut.-Govemor of Victoria, Sir William Irvine; the - GovernorGeneral of Canada, Lord • Bessborough; and the presidents of the Adelaide and Queensland branches of the society, the Hon. Sir Joseph Symon and Dr. W. N. Robertson.

Special messages were broadcast to “outposts of the Southern Seas—Suva, Port Moresby, Rabaul, Tulagi (British Solomon Islands), Nauru, Lord Howe Islands, Nukualofa (Tonga). The musical portion of the programme was supplied at Sydney by the Australian Broadcasting Commission’s Symphony Orchestra in conjunction with the combined choirs of. the commission and the. Musical Association of New South Wales.