NATIONAL MONUMENT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 11, 14 January 1936, Page 5

NATIONAL MONUMENT

- LATE LORD JELLICOE AlJil-JZ IN r\RL!A.VL>r LOADV.X, Dec. 14. I -.15 app t v Cu i •. monunici’t to l.ic mciuory oi Ao iiii«*i c»X inc i Let, tali Jtlir.ve. b.’iu itie t vomit,ns ana iiit ttvu.->e ui Lur*i> part i.iadits tv ui.- ' ■• cs and to bi»vnai turn a-1 ti. Ln the -Louimwas, Mr. Baldwin jp • ed: • mat tn., itoGSc i .-o< e itself uto a rontmillee to •.uum'ki a uuiuole ’» • £S lulu-. Muj-.-iy piajiug t int «ie , <mi 1 g . U uu.- i it a modu u< be ei«. .cd at iuc puulic marge H i -»e i.iiiuti'y «»L the I'lc Adiuirui 01 1 u«, f.C.H i-art Jji.tu.. a® an exptrshm t»f inc aomiraiiou ol Ine liou.-c iLr • '* iiijv k no'io naval i-recr Mid ns g«al luue ior his de’ vt d st. nice* »o tut Lord J'*Hi«-»»e s n ;»•>}« h«'e, said the Prime Mmi.-rer, in the *i-?" <»t la»e* e’euta r seemed i» ua-c bee J a Jiciuu preparation for what he had to du and vital he had accu-iipiiniiet!. His «uolc •tie was debated u the service oc b«» profer&io.i, an.j lor tout sen ice i»e had kept both body 'and inind in training and in sut’jeciiott >u tnat wtieiie*tr We nine taoic he would be rcauy tv rßspund to the cai». The g r eat task Lord Jellime bau wasto tak*. oxer, as h» did. lae whole heels of the l.aipirc a »d weld them together into ©ne gieat homogenous unit «»'i which the whole tale *•! the Empire dr pende.l f-r ft-ur vea.f. He u ..iai,»'l. and ke maintain...!, the undisputed t mr.maad ot the sea. u-iur»-, during, and alter t ic Battle vf Jutland. Ji.t was the co.itrolling and the directing mind of the greatest assembly of natal power that the v. j-ld had c» er seen. A Tremendous Trtut. The t u-t the nation had in 'nun «a* a treiucndoua truM, and the respoti'ibilit*- was periiaps the grca'ie>t single responsibility < t any man in the wa«. the Gra’d Fleet, in spite of innumciable difficulties and perils, -ucctetied in keeping thi?- country fed. 1 he measure 01 these mings was the measu- r uf the burden which fay on the shoulder- f the man in command of we fie- We asked much more of our eeanicn than was a>ked of the seamen of any other • < untry, aad the trust we reposed was justified from the first day of the war. They were honouring a worthy successor to the great and im mortal line of British seamen. M-. Attlee, Loader of the Opposition, associated hmvelf and hi? party wn.i the metier. Jellicoe,’’ he said, "was a man who ne'er put himself forward, who never thought vf himself, and 1 b* lievc he would think of this memorial which now propose less a® a tri bate to himself a- an individual than Io himself as typifying the spirit <f the officer* and nien ol the Fleet, and I think Just in that in his sense of duty and his self less:, e*, he siands there as a typical embodiment of the very best qualities of the British Bailor.” , Sir F. A eland spoke for the Liberal Party. “Lord Jellicoc,” he said, “has been described as a great soilor, a great gentleman, and a great Christian. Any •»f vs w<utld surelv be well content if only one of those three things could

r>:ly l»p ;i nf him after his death, tor nnc of them alone would l»e a wnithy epitaph; hut when all thiee 0/ 1 rnem appiy to the same ma.i. as J • firmly believe thej do ' • Lo 1 Jell* ! ' oc. that is so rare, and it presents 1 »-o splendid a pi* tore of what a man *>i' , <»ur ra-‘e -’an attain that wc should tlefigof to honour him." ihe Hous? of Lords. ! I’’ C-' House of L n rd«, Lcrd Hali- ’ fax spoke of Lord -Jellicoe’s steadia.-t-I ue.-s while he bote the full weight of I '.he nation 1 ' destiny, of hie- simplicity I of character and devotion to duty. Lord 1 Jellicue v.as a man of great simplicity. ;Co u ciiied only t < do his duty and 'quite tinafleclvd bv any smaller cvnI 'idoration for him pubheitv and pvpufln r a viaini had no .ippeal, nor was I he careful to make defence against 'detractor-. But with the passage < r ; voi-s thic quality of reserve has on/ , increased lite stature of his reputatio-.i. A sailor i.efore, all ihings, <»r sailor ■ stock, he spent most of his life afloat, , and whe.i 11)e time tame for him to ba *• the ship', he loved anti the life jor the rta "hi' h he understood so | well, he continued to de' ote himself 10 J the putdic ser» ice. 1 I’iie people of Xew Zealand wou.d lever remr ..ber him with nffection, } L' lp'- i «s ne was in bis work | a.-i,- i.y Lady Jtllicvr, as one ’"ho j r« preseate.| His Majesty wiin extepi 1 ivnal understanding ut' the people and ’problems <»f the Dominion. Nor when i ae laid dw. n that other did Lo'd JelliI coo retir», as be might well have • claimed »• to well-earned leisure. t Inrtead, he continued 10 devoie himself ; to his fellow-countrymen and, in parjii' jl.ir a- president of the British ■ Legi"". ; • ihr inlere.'i > of all taose who h.id in their several stations been Ins comrades ii the war. Compelled i be ill licalih to retire front Die pre>i I de hey he coutinuerl active in their rer- | vice up to the moment of his death. !"sly torts, a great sea captain, who nariird the respect of friend and foe alike, a great leader and commander of men. his left «s. "e lament his i loss to-day; bvt lor all time men of • his race wid not foig t the example of ■ r life wiii-.h they will delight to ho'i- ■ our. and siri' e tv make the model of Ikheir *»w n. * ’ Lord Snell followed with a eulogy of Jeilic-c’s cabnnesr amid ’he comI motion <»l a great and eruci*l battle in which be avoided adventurous I n>h. a I The las’ t’i 'ute was paid by Lord I Mersev, who shared with Jellicoc tne 1 hazards of an expedition in China 3o 1 years ago. and saw bis courage and I devotion i i action.