SOLDIERS OF THE KING.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 30, 4 February 1916, Page 2

SOLDIERS OF THE KING.

BIG PARADE IN AUCKLAND. 1500 FULLY TRAINED MEN. STIK.B.ING SPECTACLE XN QUEEN STREET. MAKCH WIXL ILONG BE REMEMBERED. CHEERED BY KXTH LMASTIC CROWDS. Ihe finest military spectacle which ha=, been seen m Auckland since ttio dejmrture of the 3iain ivxpediuonary Force was witnessed tin* afternoon, wheu the 4th DattaJion of the Now Zealand Rille Brigade, the 3rd Maori Contingent, and two sections o£ the .No. i Kitie Brigade Ambulance. paraded through the city. It was intended that tht , parade should have been followed bj an inspection at the Domain Cricket l.rotmd by. his K.vrellenuy"tli» blovernor. but owing to the heavy rain which set in during the night, the authorities decided shortly before 11 o'clock, that the inspection and valedictory speeches should take, place under cover of the larpe sheds on yueeu's wliarf. By the perversity of circumstance, there was a clearing of the clouds almost immediately, and a rapid process ot dryiiur set in with the advent of sunshine. This, however, was so short-lrved as to reassure those responsible that their decision wai a wise one. It is a- curious coincidence that, rainy weather prevailed on the occasion of the official departure of the Auckland Mounted Rilles Battalion and the Auckland Infantry Battalion in October. 1914. Then the men had to march down Queen Street in driving rain. .TIMTU'S TO HEORUTIXfI. In deciding to semi :i battalion of. fully-trained soldiers to parade in Auckland the Defiiice Department thout'trt to jrire a stimulus to recniitrrnr. just as was linni- in tree case o( Chrietchurnfa with trie Kijhtli Reinforcement. Hitherto Wellington, by rea.-on oi it- peoffrapbical situation, has come in lor most of the military displays, and the departure from centralised methods has much to enmrmend it. The time selected for the parade 'in 'Aaddnnd wss espwlaltr opportune, because the training had i".-t been rnnrplctcd. at the Narrow Neck tump, of a body ot Maori. Raroton<run. anri Xiue .-oldjer<=. Members .if th- A nnd C sections of the No. 2 N.Z. Rifle' Brigade Field Amhnlancc. <'.ame up a day ::i advance oi the lOOfl men comprising tie Fourth Battalion of ti.e Rillc Brisa-e. Tsiio reached Auckland from the Raugxotu camp in two special troop trains enrly In the forejioon. They reported theniselws to the authorities on Queen"* wharf, where they remained until tiiev were mustered lor the pa-riide, which took plare early in the afternoon. When they had returned from their march to Grey Statue, they were addressed in vaiedirtory tenn3 by Ins Kxeellency the Governor, the Prime Minister," the Minister of Defence, the Minister of Munitions, and the Mayor. Afternoon tea was then dieppnsed to the officers and men who had participated in the really excellent parade. IN FACE OF ADVERSITY. Had the rain descended twice as hard the people of Auckland would still have turned out in their thousands to express ill cheers their admiration of the hardy lads who hare been trained tn join their T>rave comrades at the front. A partial holiday was observed in compliance with the Mayors request, and no sooner had offices and business places closed their doors than the people flocked towards (.Jueen Street as though for the event of the year. Showers -were still falling, and for that reason verandahs became the most popiiiar places of conzreffation. Mounted police paraded the street from end to end. while other members of the f.ini' confined their attention to the difficult task "f regulating traffic on the footpaths. The crowds were thickest opposite the ciosed iron piies of s wharf, in-ide which the men were ;nus-

t 'red for the parade. Here the watchers were minus the friendly shel-1 tir of overhead covering, with the ex-. coption of umbrella.-, which could t.c] counted ad infinitum. One of the most depressing effects of the rain was that it had reduced the general display oi bunt ing and patriotic Mass i which w.-r- to h.fvo signalised the rite's goodwill i to something far different "*. ■>m that which was intended, but in spite of this, and in fa.c of the many personal discomforts, the enthusiasm of the popuiace was not to be checked. It broke forth in wave upon wave oi cheering, which must have assured tie parading soldiers that they have the best wishes of their civilian compatriots. ON THE MABCH. At last the strains of -military music announced that the march ha/1 commenced, and the pulses of the watchers bf.n the faster. First came the compact Kiflo Battalion a thousand strong, led by Colonel Smyth: then came the Native Contingent, headed by Captain Feacockc ((-amp Commandant I; and nest'followed the two sections of the Kifle Brigade Field Ambulance. Here was a body erf 1-500 men who have recently passed through that wonderful profess <>f transformation which in the course of a few months converts ordinary civilians into fully-equipped eoldier.*. well trained, and keen for the ti"ht The style of marching adopted by the Rifle Brigade (the "Earl of Xaverpool's Own") is different from that of ordinary infantry, Inasmuch as they tike nioro paces to the minute and curry their arms at the trail. The Maoris and Islanders adopt the orthodox stylo, carrying their rifles with uxed bayonets at the slope. This contrast served to impart a special interest to to-day's parade. THE MAYOB'S MESSAGE. . OCE PRICELESS PKTVIXEGES. The Mayor said that the presence of the men in Auckland to-day afforded further praictical evidence of the fact that the British Empire -was still at war, lor when the Empire was at war New Zealand was at war, and so long as they were at war he was sure that New Zealanders would be found ever reaidy to maintain her ranks unbroken. They

could not but be reminded of the departure from here 16 months ago of the offi- | cers and men comprising tho main body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. I It was now a matter of history how they and successive reinforcement "drafts had fought with valour and capacity that had brought immortal fame to New Zealand arms. (Applause.) To the Britisher, truth, justice, and national freedom were dearer than life itself. These priceless privileges which were the heritage of our race were in jeopardy, and it was necessary for all citizens of the Knipire to realise the personal responsibility for service in the sphere for which they were fitted. "We think to-day." added the Mayor, ''of your comrades in arms in other centres of the Dominion, and to them also we would extend our best wishes. To yon, the officers and men of the Battalion, of the Native troops, and of the Ambulance Corps, 1 extend, not dou-n-heru-tcdJy, but with enthtisiasm aud confidence, a farewell, an ( i may the l.ord Cod of Hosts protect and keep you in your noble task.'' (Loud applause.)