WELCOME TO THE FLEET ODE COMPETITION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 7, 12 August 1908, Page 58

WELCOME TO THE FLEET ODE COMPETITION.

SOME FINE POEMS. When we announced a special competition in the form of “ An Ode of Welcome to the American Fleet, there were critics in plenty who prognosticated that nothing worthy of publication would be received. How mistaken wag this view is very amply demonstrated in this issue, in which we print the two prize odes, and a selection of others of exceedingly high merit. Miss M. Peaeocke, Remuera, winner of the first prize, shows striking genius, and proves herself a poetess of whom New Zealand in general and Auckland in particular may be very justly proud. The poem is altogether admirable in conception, in style, in form, and> sentiment, and is obviously the outcome of high inspiration. The second poem, by Mr. David McKee Wright, is of distinct power and beauty, and though scarcely so graceful in style or so perfect in word melody as the prize ode, is yet one which runs the winner very closely for first honours. The judging was a work of much difficulty, but competitors have the satisfaction of knowing that an eminent New Zealand poet assisted the Editor in coming to a decision. Mr. Wright will oblige by forwarding his full address to the office.

First Prize—£2. “WELCOME TO THE AMERICAN FLEET.” August 9th, 1908. Daughter of Empire, in the Southern Sea, Arise to-day, and greet, in England’s name, A great Armada, glad in honouring thee; Loyal and loving shall thy greeting be, And all thy people, with one heart, proclaim, At once a welcome and a jubilee. I. A thousand thoughts go forth to thee, Advancing Fleet, across the blue; A thousand welcomes warm and true, To hover round thy ships, and be The foreword of our joy; to strew Like flowers, thy pathway o’er the sea. A thousand warmer welcomes wait, To break from eager hearts and lips, When all thy stern and stately ships, Magnificently grim, and great. With banners hung; in bright eclipse, Shall forge through Waitemata’s gate. JI. Now, festal flags on ship and shore, On tower and arch and crowded quays; And myriad banners on the breeze, ' Flutter and float and stream before Its boisterous breath, and over these, The iron-throated cannon roar —- A shattering roar, that sinks and swells In thunderous challenge and reply, 'That echoes to the steadfast sky, And still of strenuous welcome tells; And, jubilant and sweet, on high, Breaks forth the triumph of the bells. “O, Jubilee! O, Jubilee! <), Joy and Jubilee!” they sing; “In greeting and good-will we ring, America, to welcome thee; In windy turrets, ring and swing, O, Jubilee! O, Jubilee!” The foreshores flame for thee, and height And headland burn and blaze, and higher Flash flights of rockets, raining fire, That flame and fall like meteors bright, And dropping rainbow stars, expire Upon the velvet breast of night. HL Thy name is blazoned on the page Of Science, Commerce, Arms, and-Arts; The turmoil of thy teeming marts, Is the harsh anthem of the Age; And the firm purpose of thy heart* Has won for thee thy heritage.

Thy “Stripes and Stars” shall stream b«* side Zealandia’s starry Cross, and drift On warm Pacific winds, that lift The mingled folds that flutter wide;! Take thou, as guerdon and as gift, Our love, our loyalty, and pride— Our pride as welcoming State to State, Our love and loyalty as kin; The hope all true hearts hold within, That battle, bloodshed, strife and hate Shall cease and Brotherhood begin, When Love with Law shall arbitrate. We claim thee kin; we know- thee kind And quick to own the ancient bond Of blood, that makes us doubly fond;; The ties that softly, surely, bind; And here, to-day, and there, beyond, We are one rave, one heart, one mind. So, Golden Eagle, proud and bold, Flutter on freedom’s winds, as free As those fair Stars that stream with thee; And History’s glorious page shall hold Our mingled destiny to be, Written in purple and in gold. —MAUD PEACOCKEL Remuera, Auckland. Second Prize—£l. A WELCOME TO THE AMERICAN FLEET. Sons of the race of Freedom, heirs of our Saxon pride, Born in the bonds of friendship to our home by the morning tide. Your steel ships ride in our waters, your spangled flag unfurled Has come to the place of greeting o’er the oceans of half a world; What words of a kingly welcome shall freemen speak to their peers— The sons of the young free nation to the sons of the wide, free years? Our land is decked for your coming, in the earliest green of the spring. The glory of flowej-s new-wakened, the joy of all birds that sing, And tenderer beauty than the North may know; The forest slopes in. the dawning, the lights when the sun is low, River, and lake, and mountain, with a voice that is sweet and strong, Call you their word of greeting to match with our welcome-song. Sprung from the same strong mother, the same blood beats in our veins, Ye are heirs to our olden glory, we ar* heirs to your golden gains. Though sundered in name and nation, there is naught may hold us apart—• Weak words shall fail to sever where the same pulse stirs in the heart. Be welcome, ye, to the threshold, of our home in the Southern sea, Where a young, free nation’s cradle song* were your hymns of Liberty. Ours is the long, fair record, of hope, and faith, and deed; Joint heirs are we to the glory, of Crecy, and Runmymede. Yours is the “Mayflower’s” sailing, and ours Trafalgar’s fame; We smote the fetters from the slave, your pity wrought the same. Whatever Saxon brain has framed, or Saxon throat has sung, Is yours and ours, while time shall lastj who speak our Shakespeare’s tongue. We, youngest of the nations, have learned of you the way; We fought and tamed the wilddrnes* that long untrodden lay. In a thousand vales our homes are set, ■our cities rise in their pride, Our flocks are whitening on the hills, our sails on the circling tide. Yours was the light before us still, w* saw its beacon flare; A nation’s march in the wilding We*| that called us to do and dare.

To-3ay our mother England look* wide from her ocean throne > ■ On the fair, strong children she nourished —she claims them all as her own. She joys in the joyous meeting of brothers long held apart, In the links of a love new-welded, where heart speaks close to heart, In the light of a fresh day breaking with a sudden glory of morn, - Where her youngest child rejoices to welcome her eldest born. !Amd this shall be the message ye bear to our own far kin:—“The meaner years are over, and the long, rich years begin, Be it in peace or battle, we are friends at utmost need; True to the blood of our fathers, in faith, and word, and deed; True by the hopes that hold us, by each token of old renown; True though the last doom sounded, and the white man’s flag went down.” Bear to the land that bore you the words of a people’s heart: — “We stand erect and fearless to play a nation’s part; We ask not aid of your thunders, we reck not of gain or loss, Who dwell in the utmost islands ’neath the flag of the starry cross; But of true heart we love you, with a love unbribed, unbought; for the sake of the one strong mother, for the sake of the things ye wrought. —DAVID MeKEE wright. ZEALANDIA GREETS COLUMBIA. We welcome bold Sperry from far o'er the main, All hail to the good ships that follow his train; Hail to their stripes, and hail to their stars, Hail to the fleet, and its brave Yankee tars. We welcome the fleet I

Hail to the flagship, vast chateau of steel. Hail to her smokestacks, her armour and keel; From hand to heart, and from heart to hand, We welcome our kin, from the great Yankee land. We welcome the fleet ! Hail to their turrets, and hail to their guns. All hail to America’s brave venturesome sons; May God in His mercy preserve us from war, Let our Southern Gross greet your North Polar Star. We welcome the fleet ! Hail to the officers, bold sons of the sea, But without the men where would the officers be ? That our hinges of kinship they never may rust, Hold fast to the motto, “In God we trust.” We welcome the fleet ! John Bull’s sons, on this far distant strand, Greet the men in blue from Columbia’s land; Zealandia’s fair daughters,in their happy island home, Wish them much joy where’er they may roam. We welcome the fleet ! All our icy-cold rills, and our hot bubbling fountains, Our balmy fern-glades, and our glaciercapped mountains; With one voice they all welcome your transient stey, And admire your great ships while- at anchor they lay. We welcome the fleet ! All hail to the squadron, from far o’er the wave, Much welcome to the waters, our harbour that lave; The welcome to the fleet to your nation extends; May Republic and Monarchy long remain friends. We welcome the fleet !

Old Colony, New Dominion, counties, boroughs, and all, High, low, rich and poor, join the auspicious call; |The Governor, the Premier, and the Cabinet as well, Give a hearty welcome, and all vie to excel. We welcome the fleet ! le tangata, te wahine, te tamariki, rangitiras too, With a shower of tenate®heas will gladly welcome you; They’ll danee a merry haka in real Maori style. Perhaps perforin a poi-dance your visit to beguile. We welcome the fleet ! MAGGIE HULME. / Z’rr. ) ODE TO THE AMERICAN FLEET. Welcome, brave fleet, rest from your voyage long; Safe anchored, rest in Waitemata’s tide. Welcome, “Old Glory” to Hauraki gulf: True emblem thou of that sweet liberty The pilgrim fathers sought across the. main , When theV from England fled, to freedom find Upon Columbia’s shore: that land where they Could worship God, far from unrighteous power. And find deliverance from the despot’s rod. Hail, hail, America for thou art great. From noble fathers have thy people sprang; The blood that circles in thy children’s veins Hath been transmitted from heroic sires. The Constitution that thy wise men framed Is writ in words inspired by heaven’s design: It is the shield and shelter of the weak; It is the curb upon the tyrant mind; O. may its spirit ever be revered From north to south, from east to west, where’er The Stars and Stripes in honour are unfurled. ’ ri

Thou gallant fleet that flies flag, f .. Thrice welcome art thou to these Au» tral isles. Whose sons are of a common race with thine; Who speak, as thine, the noble English tongue; Whose hearts, like thine, revere heroic deeds; May thy ensign with Britain's be ere twined. Where’er they meet upon the ocean broad. Their object one; their purposes tho same. CHARLES HARDY.

A cold in the nose, as you’ll suppose, I' u terrible nuisance, goodness nose’ But Woods* Great Peppermint Cure’s a friend Whose kindly aid will always lend! You may be sure When colds endure The case requires a treatment newer Then send for Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure!

Glass is not a substance that we can*, figure the strength of as we can a great many other things with which we are familiar. It varies greatly in itself. Tho strongest glass, as a rule, breaks into the greatest number of fragments. Comparing the strength of thin glass witli thick, the former is relatively the stronger; this is a thing very often lost sight of. Then again, as to the difference between rough plate and polished plate, we find polished plate the stronger. This is perhaps to be attributed to the fact that all these very fine surface hair eracks are polished out. These only go into the glass to ascertain depth, and when they are all or nearly all polished and ground off, /here is less chance for soma of them to form the basis of a craek, and thereby the glass is increased in strength. Tests have been made and some formulae have been arrived at. As was to be expected, they show irregular results as to the- strength of glass.