The Wanganui Herald (Published Daily.) MONDAY, MAY 3, 1920. WELCOME, PRINCE!

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160641, 3 May 1920, Page 4

The Wanganui Herald (Published Daily.) MONDAY, MAY 3, 1920. WELCOME, PRINCE!

The subjects of His Majesty the King in Wanganui and district extend to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales a most cordial welcome, and sincerely trust that he will carry away with him happy memories of his visit to this, one of the oldest settlements of the Dominion and the Fifth City in New Zealand. Ever since the first band of pilgrims who left the Motherland in 1839 to colonise the latest acquired gem in the British Crown, wended their weary, but hopeful and cheerful way on foot from their landing place in Wellington along the sea coast to carve out a home for themselves in the wilds of Wanganui, they have cherished the fondest thoughts of the Homeland, and have ever been loyal to the Crown and all that it symbolises. In the dark days of pioneership, with all their trials, vicissitudes, privations, and dangers, they stood nobly by the flag which a brave native foe, righteously resenting the iniquitous theft of their lands, was grievously tempted to supplant, but who in later years vied with the colonists in their loyalty and devotion to King and Empire and in their practical display of patriotism. The descendents of the early British pioneers, as also the sons and daughters of all nations and creeds represented ig. this cpmjaunity, ex-

tend their cordial greetings to the Prince, and thank Mm for the opportunity Ms visit affords them of once again demonstrating their loyalty. All join heartily in welcoming him, and showing their appreciation of lie attributes he has displayed and the zeal and thoroughness with which he is preparing himself for the future. A King, in these days most be a democrat, and we welcome him because of his manly and democratic habits, because he has helped to break down the formal barriers which might otherwise become a stumbling block between a monarch and hi® subjects, because of his friendship for soldiers of all ranks, and for the frankness and cheerfulness of bearing which he has displayed in his great position. His captivating personality has become widely known since the outbreak of the war, and be has earned a reputation for generosity of character and for breadth of interests and of sympathy. At the front he passed the most exacting of all tests. It was soon found that he did not intend to ailow his high position either to shelter him from hardships or to prevent him sharing the amusements of a junior officer. His popularity was no mere diplomatic invention. It was endorsed by all ranks, andLnothing more emphatically than among the critical soldiers from the Dominions. The Prince was consistently successful in those international missions in which it is the duty of an ambassador rather to create an atmosphere than to initiate a policy. But what evidently gave most pleasure to His Royal Highness were the signs of friendship shown to him by his fellow-soldiers from whatsoever part of the Empire they came. Wanganui’s quota of the New Zealand soldiers therefore joins very heartily in welcoming the Prince to their midst. In the Prince’s tour through Canada 1 and in the speeches subsequently delivered in England, he showed other and more responsible qualities. He was liked before for his humanity; he is valued now for attributes by no means common even among men who have attained to a high place in the affairs of their respective States. The Prince has shown a very rare combination of insight and enthusiasm, the pride and patriotism which is natural to Englishmen who have seen any portion of the Overseas Dominions united to a far less common appreciation of the character of the Dominions and of their relations to the United Kingdom. Since his return from Canada the Prince has been overwhelmed with praise by Ministers and other eminent personages, whose speeches have from time to time been quoted in our cablegrams, and who express the prevalent conviction that the Prince is doing a great service to the British people. And the Prince has already revealed in his brief stay in New Zealand the charm of character which has won the hearts of his future subjects wherever he has visited them. We all join, then, most heartily and enthusiastically, in welcoming His Royal Highness, and expressing the hope that his tour through the Dominion will be most pleasurable and profitable, and that as a result the ties of devotion and loyalty that bind the Dominions to the Motherland will he extended and greatly strengthened.