The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-03-07
WHITELAW REID SPEAKS
To SAN FRANCISCO Of
THE SPIRIT OF THE CITY
(From the Examiner

SAN FRANCISCO, February 2S.-In
introducing Whitelaw Reid, ambassa-
dor to England, at the banquet to him
in this city last evening, Toastmaster
James Rolph Jr. said:
1--WE are highly gratified to have
in here a gentleman of national promi-
nence, and indeed, international fame.
For this particular occasion the fact
that we can claim him as a Califor-
nian, although accident of birthplace
or his citizenship may be elsewhere,
we are sure that the concerns Of Call
fornia are his concerns, and his sym
pathies are with us in all our undertake
ings. have the honor to present the
Honorable Whitelaw Reid, ambassa-
dor to England" Mr.. Reid responded
as follows:
M. Chairman, gentlemen of San
Francisco, l may say by your special
authority, fellow-C alifornians: 1 can
not thank you too warmly from the
bottom of my heart for the kind words
with which my name has been pre-
scented to you, ard by the extraor-
binary kindness of your reception. 1
am rejoiced to find that you are will
ing to admit me to California.
l have been especially pleased in
listening tonight to the recital Of the
splendid achievements of your repre-
sentatives in Washington, to learn
from them that they received no more
hearty support outside the State of
California than they did from my 9th.
er State of New York
Might / say one word concerning
another toast? 1 listened with the
greatest pleasure to the words thai
were uttered and the responses you
gave to the praises of the President of
the United States. 1t has been for
some years my duty when on for
eign shores to represent our govern
ment and I would ike to take the
liberty of saying here tonight on what
is anything but foreign shore just
this-that popular and faithful and
influential as the President of the
United States has been through now
long term of official service in varied
and most useful capacities, he has
never been more popular, he has never
held in his hand greater power, and he
has never been rendering a greater
service to the country than he is rem
dering now.
Proposes a Substitute.
Now, gentlemen, had great hesita-
ton in promising to appear here at
all before you tonight, because 1 felt
myself not an outsider in fact, but
an outsider in knowledge of the facts;
and had great temptation to ask you
now to accept a substitute. You have
already indicated your admiration for
him, and your appreciation of him as
a speaker l think that I would be
very happy if you would take Gov
ernor Gillett in my place. (Shouts,
no, no.
Shouts, No, No.
Well, gentlemen, I have offered you
the best can give. If you will not
have that, then l confess that l am
constrained not by the Importance Of
what have to say, but by its very
unimportance, be careful about say
ing it, | have learned that the less
important the things l have to say
abroad, the more broadly essential it
was that l should know exactly what
I was saying.
So I am now going to paralyze an
after dinner San Francisco audience
by reading an after dinner speech.
begin it by saying that you do me
honor overmuch in assigning me any
place among those entitled to be heard
on this occasion of civic rejoicing.
Shares the Gratitude.
But it is a great pleasure to be able
to join in these congratulations to the
City, the State and the Coast on what
is the common triumph of all; as well
as to these representatives at WASH
ington, whose services in your behalf
has been so fruitful
And yet fear being a little out OF
harmony with the prevailing note OF
this banquet. You are all full of graft
tude to these gentlemen who went to
Washington for you. I share that
feeling to the full, but l should be in
clined to get at the matter the other
way around. Instead of loading them
with thanks on what they have done
for you, my preference would be to
load them with congratulations on
what you have done for them-on
their tremendous good fortune in hav'