LORD JELLICOE'S FAREWELL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12761, 3 October 1919, Page 5

LORD JELLICOE'S FAREWELL.

"WE LOVE NEW ZEALAND.”

[Per Press Association.]

AUCKLAND, October 2. Speaking at Onehunga to-day, after receiving the gift of a casket made of H°M n ! r<m ' th 6 Wred£ the H.M S. Orpheus, Lord Jellicoe said that the wreck of that vessel was not only a great disaster, but it was'al.so td^T e^ er f d for the behaviour crel np / a ant 7 0U the P art of the crew of a British man-of-war. The seamen had worthily upheld the tradition 8 wb-t®! ra ° e ’ those tradi ‘ tions which had been upheld during the *o a “ even greater eftent - U was the same spirit that he saw displayed bn the occasion of the sinking in the Mediterranean of H.M.fs. Victoria in 1893, when the ships company fell in on the upper deck and as the vessel gradually sank waited for the order that they himsetf, an order which was not given lnmsclf, an order which was not given until the ship was on her beam ends, but not a man stirred until that order was given. It was the same spirit that was displayed in every shipwreck ot our splendid mercantile marine, the same spirit that the officers and men ot that service had shown when their vessels were torpedoed, and very often there were no boats left to save them, and then men had gone down with cheerfulness and resignation. It was the same spirit which the soldiers had aisplayed. It was the same spirit which had made the young dominion of New Zealand what it was. In spite of every difficulty the pioneers had carried on. New Zealanders had a great heritage before them and he felt quite certain that they would display that splendid spirit of loyalty which he, had ’witnessed wherever he met them. He felt sure the children would carry on the Dominion on the same lines as those on which their forefathers had started it as a model to other parts of the Empire. Such a dominion as that was worth “ living for and it was also worth fighting for. In the hour of the Empire’s danger New Zealand had always come to the front. New Zealand now had an opportunity .of helping the British Navv. and he had no doubt whatever that New Zealand would -take advantage of that opportunity. The safety of the British Empire meant the safety of New Zealand. They stood or fell together. New Zealanders had ever been full of loyalty to King and Empire. They had ever gone to the front when the Empire needed them, and would, he was sure, co-operate and support the British Navy in the future. . As that was, perhaps, the last occasion on which he would address the people of New Zealand in public, the Admiral said he would like to remark that while no one disliked public speaking more than he did, he almost regretted that it was his last occasion. His heart was sad that they were leaving this beautiful country’. Since he and Lady' Jellicoe had been in New Zealand . they had met with a most warm-hearted welcome. People had taken him and Lady Jellicoe to their hearts. The Admiral assured the people of their deep gratitude, and said he and Lady Jellicoe thanked the people from the bottom of their hearts. “Me love New Zealand with the greatest possible regard,” continued the Admiral. “ and I am quite sure that a very large majority of us on the Now Zealand would like to come back again. Of all the thousands we have met in New Zealand, I think, perhaps, it is the children whom we are most sorry to leave. The children are perhapsi more demonstrative than their elders, and wherever we have been we found the children full of enthusiasm for the Navy, and it is that enthusiasm that appeals very much to our hearts. 1 don’t say the grown-ups are not full of the same enthusiasm, but they didn’t let themselves go in the same way that the children did, and, therefore, while not for one moment saying that we are not deeply sorry to leave you all, it is the children, as far. as I am concerned, who have got most deeply into my heart. With my sad heart I say good-bve and Kia Oral”