MR MASSEY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11948, 6 March 1917, Page 3

MR MASSEY.

HOMED BY EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY. (" Scotsman." January 18.) The Right Hon. William Ferguson 1 Unssey, Prime Minister of New Zea-- j and, who .some time ago received tho j reedoin of tho city of bkluiburgh, yes- | :erday was awarded tho honorary decree of I>oetor ot Laws by tho Senatftis if Edinburgh University. The University, it was explained, would "nave willingly contributed its mite to tho honour which the Corporation bestowed, but unfortunately, it was not possible to do so owing to tho restrictions miposed by ordinances which have all tee force of an Act of Parliament'. In awarding t he degree the U nH'ersity broke through the self-denying ordinance not to award »uy such degrees during tho war. The ceremony, which took [„laco in the Upper Library of,the University at. noon, tvp.b largely attended. Principal Bir Alfred Ewing. the V iceChancellor, presided, and he was accompanied to the platform by Mr Massey. Lord Provost Lome MacLeod. Mr (!. N. .Johnston, K. 0., M.P. for the Lni- > versifies of Edinburgh and St Andrews : : Principal T. 7 hyte. New College: members of the Seiiatus, the Iniversit.y Court, the O'.T.ernl Council, and officials of tho 8.R.0. «-nd die Btudent*' Unions. The proceedings were opened with prayer by Professor Peterson, Dean of the Faculty of Divinity. A DEVOTED LEADER. Professor Mackintosh, Dean of the Faculty of Law in presenting Mr Maf>sey, referred to the abnormal conditions arising out of ihe war, which huvo affected the arrangements for* honorary graduation, and said it was another sign of the troubled time - they were iiviug in, and another unwi'ium; breach v.-jtii tradition, rh;>t the bpAtowal. of honorary degrees m the regular course had i.ocn suspended for tho present; h:jt the Sena tits were fully sensible that, if. would bo nothing br*- than a dcrcliuiou of their duty to withhold academic recognition from services o ? sAich exceptional value, and such vital importance to the common causo, n« those which had been rendered by the. Prime Minister of Ausirfdis, who rioitcd them ;v few tnonths ago, and by th« Premier of Nov Zealand, whom they were proud in welcome there that day. f Applause.) Tim de\ oted patriotism of lenders like chwe and the rna.gnifice.nt loyalty of the vast. ferviiorie r - v-hey represented were r.ho very strength and stay of our Empire, as they wero the envy and despair of ii? jerdouis and malignant foe-i. who new realised too late thai their in«o:e>t>. and premeditated aggression had done more for the consolidation of 'he Imperial fabric than a cycle of pence could effect. (Applause.) lie need hardly remind them that New Zealand and Scotland, i homrh sundered a..- wide a*", the I'olerj. we-ro linked together hv innumerable ties of kinship, ommo" lute re* Tsar.cl svirpnt'htfts. wh •'•••! i he itno'ht be permitted to single out iV *• tif; 1 emotion tho bonds of at adeiuie ini erconi-so and association. %>nnig as he. *ro«n that sturdy and strenuous F sioek which wsA next, of kin to the B*oc. Mr Massey found in his adopted country a congenial sphere for tho .-rxereise of his rare business capacity and his lively intorest in puhlie '--fr'airs. Av a tune when food prndu.-iion wns the order of the day aivl i!><• olmiah was regaining its ancient meed of honour. was of soma interest to recall t!>«l if was as ;ui enterprising ami ogmiltnrist he first hi--. jmirb in that land of boundlc-.y av.'ieuli.urn! and pastoralresources. (Ajiphiu:Mis parliamentary career had been marked by an unbroken advance through the portfolios of Land, Labour ar-d Industries to the proud position lie had now held for five years as head of cJie Administration. Applause.) His notable puhlie activities since the outbreak oi' the war in the Dominion's defences, it) sending foMV.ird a const-ant sreeam -of those i)f..re; mils v,hose valour had written .nd 'iiiii" new mime An?,ac on the iohosoitnhle shores of Gallipoli. ami. above all. ids. indefatigable, labours in ju'nciahiiinii tin- gos))Ci t>i Irapenai in-te-rrat.io!' ii;e huigth and breadth of ;h" Old <.'o;nitry, these uert> the tt!i'\ces which tii-yv -Jeeiucd pre-eini-lu-irtly deserving of ihe highest tribute of their eratii.ude and ibanks- i.Aojdause.j They \vo:v sineorely gratijhvl to k>»ow that he had cal!<vl into council as r, n;etr.ber ot the Jmprrial Y.'ar ("oinetYnco. (■>;■ ids vrhcle iv-i.-or:! assurcxl th'.'ti; that in' .-■limy device-—not- even the :t;aaziiig traiisiormation of the Prussian eagle iuto the dove of peaty and te< proico;or ft suii'i Mati<,i.iaiiiie*--wi-.uid avail to divert, him for one moment from the imperative bii.-:ir;<?ss of the hour, the concent ration of the undivided energies of ike Empire and iis Allies upon iiic vigorous prosecution of : h<-. war to a final and decisive victory. (Applause.) Xor would bo he less alert and resolute, dniowin:; what he did e f Too tonic p-actiecs and preparations in ihe Bouthci n Paoifie, ;.o frustra.to every intrigue- to sn.iitf-h iroiii us by economic and iMtiiiueretal machinations the heriiage '.vhieh ]i:;d ivit.h-tood the open a, satdt. iif tLe fierma*! hj(- ts. In th's struggle ihe moral foundations of all law. national and international. had boer. dangerously undermined, and they craved the aid of their new graduate at the coaling settlement to vindicate | i Ik- majesty of the law. and to seek effective guaranto.es tluit never again shall the si.rongest power venture with impunity to violate the olemeutarv dictates of hum.taticy.ainl justice. (Loud applause.) The Vico-Ohancollor, in the name of the Sonatas Aeademieus, (>onferred tb>> amidst apidaiiHe. . MR At ABBEY OX THE \YAJ! BITCA'irOX. | Mr Massey thanked the authorities or ! tho University for the great honour tliev ; had conferred upon inn,, and through him 'upon the people of New Zealand. Binee he was in Edinburgh a few weeki ago, yen- important had taken place m. the war outlook ironi the point of view of the. Allies, and hr* was ghid to bo able to say that wo had much more reason to bo optimistic than wo had i seven or ehdit weeks i go. It was trim jthat matters in the Haitians had not | gu.ue tjiiite so well a,<r v.o could have ! liked. but we could not forccfc that, Ger- | many had given us the very strongefc-fe imiieaticnis of her anxiety to commenco ! peace l'egoiunions, lie -was quito ccrl rain that i he Imperial unihoritieii would j not mistake the Prussian eagle for the idovo oi peace, however anxious the ! Prussian eagle might bo to assume that : charncU-r for the present. ; (..ermany could not, possibly hope to liold i during the eojr.uig spring and summer | the territory which she o<cupied at preI sent, ami she know that perfectly well. ; lie hoped find trusted that the terma indt- • eat; '.I by the Allies would b« insisted on ; wir.hout j had the opportunity of being proHent on ; the previous day ah the (Juifdbrdl mc-.ct- | itig and oi" seeing the enihusia-jm there, i and he laid not tlio slightest liesitation . .;ii saying ihat ail the ctonev ihat was : v. •.•:'.ied v,"ould be willingly and eagerly lo'iioi by f.'ot l eiUKens ot the Empire. ; (Applause.) In munitions and ordinary i ' (juiomont they had fcvery reason to be- ; iiove that tho supply v/as equal to the ! dfeDjand, bur. tho strongest reason u>r ; " carrying on " was that wo were in the • ricrht and Germany in the wrong. Geri' many began ihe war, and wo were going j to finish it. fn saying thitt he could not i forget the sacrifices tliat had Ijean made j arid the sacrifices thkt raigut require to he made -between now and the end of the w«r. Tho spirit of British citizens to-day was tho spirit of tho Army and the Navy. As the principal citizen ol New Zealand he could tell them nothing

was being left undone to enable that country to do her full share. (Hear, hear-) Bat that was only to be expected, because they took pride in the fact that New Zealand was the most purely British community in the Empire out>side of the United Kingdom. (Applause.) THE IMPERIAL WAR CONFERENCE. When he last had an opportunity of speaking to m Edinburgh audience he said he regarded the conference with the Dominions as a necessity, and he would now make this prediction, that the coming conference would be one ot the most important events in the, history of tho Empire and would practically open a new era. (Applause.) The proposal had been hailed with satisfaction by Ins fel-low-citizens in the overseas dominions, and it would turn out for the beneht or the whole Empire. The conference was onlv the forerunner of what would bappen later, and would lead to tne reorganisation of the Empire and o, the United 'Kingdom m> far as its alißmentarv " methods were concerned. In time it. would lead to a truly Imperial Parliament. Tho men who would represent the overseas douim.ons wmdd be simply average intelligent British cittas who had been experienced in onst. year* in administration and in legis<«:t;m. and whose opinnn would he worth having not only during the present, crisis, but- in tho yesirs to come. One thin it they onsiic never to lose sight of rasilir unity ot the lun{pi re- ( \pp!auso.f ! POST-WAII TRADE.

With regard postwar trade, bo wanted tri utter a iMiru of caution. Heimped, trusted tnd beliwed that Germwvy would novev aiiain be a-UoweU _to fake up the post'don in regard to industrial nnd commercial matters slv:> cecupi-fd in relation, to the- Kmpire prior to the out-break of war. (Hear, bear.) He would 50 further, and say he hoped no other country would Iv allowed to take up that position. (Hear, hear.» After the war they were going to have keen competition in dustrial matters, not only with Germany, biit with 'neutral countries, which.' had been taking "p trade form••■■!• iv dem;-. by Britaiti and Germany. The-*-, countries would not; give up thaitrade without a severe ntrugede. if the people of Brit sin were cjoice; to hold their own in industrial mai'.ters they would have to farrap their obsolete mtmhincry and metbeds n-bici l had been proved to be. obsolete, and replac-> il-am with somctiurg much better. The was in ihe hands of the British people ibemselvw-.. He hoped and be bored that- Britain would get- back ad that trade which be believed was only torn wire rile lo- . and fbaf, s'm.'. v.onld

at-ain ho able to .?ivf the world a lead. (Apphvn.-oA tut: DOMtxroNs axi> n.wai. A( v. Sir Alfred 'Kwjive'. in aridroraing the U?W >;» id 1 !H-',V T. - i>iK".l Tba tdecree, to b'' :; ;:n~ot:!!p: from I'ho ■Mov.hrrlr.nd f o ires;: of hefioniaioiiv' J'mi:; r!;o old of Edinbnr:;:', vo *<bo ne»v ("niversay of >."oav XoaiaSHl, which, partially at fij.pui ii.- ivr » in tl-'O- iu-v: IvJinbur.G:!: of vh.- .-oot.h tiio <-iiy v.-'ov.-'li railed itno.]f by ■;!;.•, softer name of Jhmefii.ll. The va;- had Mm bond; 1 , of alrcefmn (■'•if f.iioni'--. I' had vast.y iwre.v-'M H-.oir k'fifo,v!.«-UL-,o of rim di<t;iiu dominion*, and if had auulo vlmm realise what i hoy mean:.- ; ti tho pyirinei ship of .iv.iiiVro. They h.-.d bee.onm familiar rmi only with -»r« .'r ' r dorirm- d<-:x'ls. hy.r, \vo:h ili»" <_-icrion.i itciuros in their strf&ts. of those >,<)\m, of A oak who u-oro, -also men of Am:ac, and rimy had com© to ApprociKuo fim fact that during these difi'lfiili bur g'loi'ioiis two years the 'Jo.O'V I miles of oooan which separated thi? country from (hem \vns not a harrier, hut a bond. < A nn'.anso.) It v,-;ts *l)o hifdnvat of Tvmpivo. Xetv Zealand tss prompt and pr.aei •.<•;;! in tho: coiri rtbui ion wide l ; she made ; v,v. fin.!.-/ ma : ntai>dmr nur naral MitwomaoY. (Ap]da;;■-■: .') So loner e« we kept, (bar-, and iU'ie enlonms. monk! help io keep it. 'lie oceans that, M.v-md to divide, us were, in fnrf. iho orfootive means of oar unity. They were the hards' of our Imperial Federation. What) form that Fed'srnitirm wh* u> take wag the problem which would lie before Air Massey and his eoiJeas-Mies. .No tasT: could demand Mm worthier efforts: of sa.no slid patriotic minds. lint if the task was mm of difficulty, thoiv- w:w this to bo said, riint the time was one of unexampled opportunity. (Ap].ila.use.) tlio- fje.nodiction had been proHonnccd. ilio iernriu,afc(yl with tlifee for the now graduate, caihd for by Sir 1/iidovic: Cr&nt.