THE SOLDIERS' FESTIVAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 307, 27 December 1915, Page 7

THE SOLDIERS' FESTIVAL.

jtECOBD CHRISTMAS DINNER. SCENIC AT THE CAILPS. [APPRECIATIVE BOYS IX KHAKI. (By Telegraph. —I're.s Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Jj the hundreds of people from all narts of New Zealand who contributed to the soldiers' Christinas dinner could have heard the cheers for them, and the relish with which the boys in khaki tackled the splendid meal, they would have been more than repaid. The gratitude of our men in camp for any civilian attention is a great encouragement to do more, and this year's Christmas dinner was «._ much a joy to the five hundred ladies wbo did tho work as it .-as to the nun lor whom it was provided.

As a piece of organisation, the dinner for five thousand men, in two separate camp? t-ix miles apart, was no mean achievement for the .Mayoress ot Wellington and her helpers, who included oiost of the best known Wellington women. If it had been an ordinary hot dinner, the task would have been heavy, but this was a meal such as had never ..en served before in Trentham, not even in the officers' mess. It comprised rcHst lamb, green peas and potatoes, cold ham with salads, followed by fruit 6alad and the very best of Christmas puddings, steaming hot. Non-alcoholic drinks were on tap by the barrel, and Christmas cake was also liberally provided, but in most cases, so ample and luxurious was the ordinary menu for this glad occasion, that wise mess orderlies put the cake away for the lean times, when Government fare, extremely plain, if good, will only be available. At May Morn camp, where 1,200 men are training, the dinner was served under the trees, in a most picturesque spot, the grouping of so many uniformed men, surrounded by the ladies attending to them, being a pretty sight, full of animation and brightened still more by the stirring enthusiasm of the men over the good feed. Several hundred helpers invaded the camps before noon, as an enormous amount of preparation liad to be made for the meal at 6 p.m. Salad dressing, for instance, had to be made by the gallon, hundreds of cases of fruit were swallowed up like magic by long lines of oTderlies deputed to carry off supplies for each hutment. The military authorities had nothing to do with the organising of the meal, but their unlimited resources in men were placed at the disposal of the civilians, with the result that the fetching and earning in the huge camp at Trentham was a problem easily solved. What the big wagons of the Army Service CoTps did not handle light-hearted orderlies and gay parties of "fatigues" tackled with the cheerfulness of a picnic job. Supplies came from Wellington by loads of several tons each, and the ladies had to keep cool heads not to be bewildered by the seeming chaos of leavy cases. Six ladies were told off to take charge of each hutment — there were GS—and while the decorations, the 6aladings, and the dishes wore being got ready, the materials went the rounds till everyone was satisfied. When the pile of supplies reached the proportions of a haystack, and two motor lorries came up with more, the situation seemed almost a hopeless tangle, but the call for help brought a "fatigue"' of forty willing men in less than a minute; they trudged off along the shingled roads with a case of tinned fruits each, and there was again room to breathe in the centre of operations, the Salvation Army social halL

Scores of Christmas puddings, weighing Bibs each, were placed in large tanks, _nd the steam from a steam lorry gave them their final cooking during the counse of the lcng afternoon. As the men came off duty and saw how their hutments had been transformed with flowers and other decorations, they showed their pleasure with the lighthearted abandon of schoolboys. Early in the day the visitors had an indication of the cheerful spirit in camp. They heard thousands of men cheering. The roar started near the entrance to Trentham, and went in a great wave through the rows of hutments. By-and-by a piled-up motor lorry with cases of oranges trundled to the distributing point, and the cause of the enthusiasm was explained. Luxuries by the lorryload could not be allowed to come silently, without welcome, into camp. 'The cookhouse" call, 6ounded by a dozen buglers at 6 o'clock, brought scores of mess orderlies out at the double. They lined up as at a theatre queue, carrying the big tins and trays on which the lamb and green peas were served out. While the meal went on a party of leading politicians and military men, headed by his Excellency the Governor and Lady Liverpool, inspected many on' the hutments, and were received with the greatest enthusiasm. Lord Liverpool was suffering from a cold, so that he had to cut his inspection 6hort. However, the Mayor of Wellington and the politicians persevered with the inspection, though it meant speeches in nearly every hutment. Vlhen about a dozen happy dinner parties had been looked up, and the inspecting procession saw that the plum pudding stage had been reached, a hasty calculation was made, and they realised that at the average rate of progress it would take till 0 o'clock to finish the tour. Thus it came about that many parties of men who wanted to cheer the Prime Minister and his colleagues had to do so in their absence. With wonderful fortitude the inspecting party proceeded to tackle a journey by motor to May Morn camp, where more happy diners were inspected. It was long after the city man's usual dinner hour, but no dainty fruit salads or steaming plum puddings materialised for the inspecting politicians, who persevered, hungry but heroic, in their long tiusk, sacrificing their own comforts for the pleasure of tlie men who will sacrifice so much for all of us. When the weary ladies returned to Wellington by a special train late in the evening they were unanimous in declaring that the soldiers in both camps were most gentlemanly in behaviour, and that the men's delight over the great Christmas feed would he remembered for many a day.

These are the days when ladies with greasy complexions will appreciate the delightful qualities of CARMOLINE Lotion. Positively prevents all greasincss an.l excessive perspiration, and gives a clean delicate, refined finish to the ski". It is the most perfect protection against sunburn, freckles, tan, blemishes, and heat spots, ever formulated. Price 1/0, and 3/6 a bottle. Leading chemists and Department Stores,— (A.L,)