"THANKS, OLD MAN, THANKS."

Auckland Star, Issue 311, 31 December 1900, Page 2

"THANKS, OLD MAN, THANKS."

In the course of the next few weeks some 5,000 of the colonial troops who have borne the burden and heat of the campaign in South Africa will invade th<T Old Country. They are coming, as a florid " Telegraph" writer puts it, "to receive, on behalf of their commander, the grateful acknowledgments of the people of Great Britain for their magnificent services during the wai* and -to piss in review before the Sovereign wliom they venerate with such fervent'1 and abiding loyalty." . / '

To translate fhis magnificent piece of ft Telegrapher/ tbe boys are coming- Home to have n real good time at;the expense of! John Bull,, who will show his appreciation of their services by doing1 his,level best to send, them to their home full of adrhira-iiiqn for English hospitality and indigestion. No definite date has yet been fixed for the arrival of the gentlemen in khaki, but we are all hoping that their landing in the; Motherland will synchronise that of the great little man under whom they have served in South Africa. iLord Roberts gave the colonial troops a signal mark of his favour in the year of Diamond "Jubilee by placing himself at their head in the pi-ocession, and if a progress through London a la the C.l.V.'s is contemplated asjjart of the colonials' junkettings here—well, that's where Londoners would like to see 'Bobs' again." But I'm not going to be one of the streetcrowd on the day that Lord Roberts leads his colonial army through the Metropolis if I can help it. Until we know when to expect oiir welcome guests no formal programme for their entertainment can be fashioned, but the preparatory work is in progress. Earl Grey is at the head of a strong committee, which is at work at making arrangements for trips to the principal centres of population in Great Britain; Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield, and Edinburgh are, it is said, certain to receive visits from the troops, and strong representations are being made to secure a like honour for Dublin and Belfast. Dublin certainly ought to be visited, even if one of the big English towns has to be cut out. Nothing, however, has-been definitely settled, not even the matter of the review by the Queen, the venue of'-which if it takes place will no doubt be Windsor. It is decidedly unfortunate that the exigencies of the campaign should have kept the colonials in South Africa till so late in the year, for we are apparently in for a wet winter, which is an abomination, even to the. case-hardened, Home-bred traveller, find cannot fail to greatly detract from the visitors' enjoyment of their spell afc Home.