"OUR BOYS" AT HOME

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 49, 26 February 1916, Page 13

"OUR BOYS" AT HOME

HONOURED AND FETED BY HOSTS, jtAlfr CHRISTMAS GATHERINGS .-.(from Our Lady Correspondent.)} LOXDOX, December 30. •■ Could the Kaiser but have envisaged London from a Zepp this Christmastide, le would havfc 'ound food for thought, arid:its taste as nauseous to him as that of his scientific wood-pulp bread ration, london, as the throbbing heart of the British race, set itself to do honour to Her Overseas brothers. Every Xew Zealandcr could, an' he wished, have eaten six Christmas dinners. Big functions ■there were a-plenty in honour of our . lads home from the front, and for those •iritfl a wish for a fireside many a quiet British home entertained its quota of convalescent -wounded, gathering men from opposite and remote dominions, such as one I visited where a Xfiw Zea lander, a, Canadian and a Bermudan told us the tale of the trenches. On Christmas Eve, King George's Hospital was decorated and concerto \rere held in all the wards, choristers singing Christmas carols, and glee clubs and noted artists performing. Madame Ada Crossley sang in almost every ward. Ihere were numbers of visitors, who \ took an intense interest in all that made for. the happiness and comfort of the soldiers. Lady Robinson, wife of the igent-General for Queensland, was largely responsible for the organisation of the entertainment, and she was assisted by many willing helpers from all the Colonies. The High Commissioner ' for New Zealand and his daughter were there, and took an active part in the jfoceedings. PICTURESQUE MAORI FEAST. VNo more picturesque a gathering marked the festive time than one in a garden on the western fringe of London —a back garden at Acton, where Mrs. Scott entertained a gallant band of forty ■ Maoris invalided, from the Dardanelles, •who rubbed noses, and by other strange means astonished the staid suburbanites. The ceremonies began early on ChristMas Day. A big hole was dug and a fire mad&rin it. Into the fire numbers of ' stones were cast. When the wood had iutned-away the food was placed among ■ thY stones, and the whole covered with

"The High Commissioner, invited to the feast, arrived when the pork, wild pigeons, eels and sweet potatoes had readied their lushest. Eru Tato, in full Tvar paint, rushed out of the gate and placed a -white wand at Mr. -Mackenzie's feet as le jumped out of the motor. Then the brave forty", stepping out in line, sang and danced (with rolling eyes and gestures of a fierceness to curdle the Mood-of any Boche) a mighty '"haka," at tie end of which a gage of defiance .TM;ljung down to the Hunnigh enemy defying , . TteHigh Commissioner then received tie pledges of their service to the White King, and the forty chanted the prowess ■ol, the Maori race. Then resounded'aaoiher "haka" till the conventional vestern suburb woke up to its kinshipwith the remote and hardy Antipodes. Then the feast: its proper Maori in- ■ . _gredients heightened by the home addition of turkey, and the "kai"—cooked to a turn—was taken from its oven bed with every appropriate Maori ceremony. And after war—love and the arts of peace. Then came the Maori love song, "Hoki, Hoki," its English translation provided for ignorant Britishers by Capt. Tahiwi: "Ofttimes your spirit visits mc in my J sleep and embraces mc fondly. . . ." A number of the men had tattooed themselves and were equipped with the taiaha and other weapons. The High Commissioner, in addressing the gathering, said they were wort.iy of. the race that they represented. j Britain wqr'd never be defeated so long s as ehe controlled the seas. There never lad been greater navigators than the llaoris. YeaTs before Germany was heard of,, their ancestors had traverse.-) the Pacific for thousands of miles, and the jnen before him were not one whit behind the. noble heroes of the past. Captain Tahiwi replied that they were proud to stand shoulder to shoulder ■with the sons of New Zealand and of Britain for the defence of civilisation End the Tight. Mr. McLean addressed a few remarks f tc the men, telling them some old Maori etories .reminiscent' of his father, Sir Donald McLean's experiences. Ho thanked Mrs. Scott most cordially for al! she had done for the Maoris, and £afd he intended to tell Xew Zfcaland of her good work. Cheers and countercheers were given, and "A Merry Christinas" wished again and again.

TREAT TO HOSPITAL PATIENTS. tAt Peel House very few of the New Zealandera were left to spend Christinas, so many were the attractions provided for them elsewhere. To these the High Commissioner paid a special visit, and presented them with the New Zealand coat of arms, to be hung up ji tbe fiiningroom there. Christmas Day at Walton-on-Thames ■was a great event. The boys commenced by marching down "to the Knrees' Home, and escorting the nurses to the hospital, the men who could not take part lining the windows to cheer a a they arrived. Then there was a ehort service in the reception hall for those ■who could not attend at the publin ■places of worship. At twelve noon the men sat down to a splendid lunch. Turkey 6 and plum pudding -had been generously donated by friends of the committee in ample proportions, and sweets, crackers, ciga,rs. etc., were in profusion. Everybody's good health was drunk, including Mrs. Moss, the head Wok, and her energetic helpers, professional and volunteer. later there was a 6plendid tree, -with presents for everybody and topical remarks upon them from a Tenerable Father Christmas, subsequently discovered to be Mr. Norman Dalstou. the popftlar adjutant. Then the parish church choir, in their surplices, 6ang Christmas carols, being joined in them .heartily by the men and the visitor*. ,' they had concluded, and been thanked by Lord Plunket in a few ! happy words, adjournment was made for tea.

The High Commissioner, in introducing Lady Birdwood, who wae present , "f-'ith her eon, said that no man was . ttore beloved by the Australian and New Zealand troops than iher husband. General Birdwood, and lie "was trusted Jγ the War Office. It was a special honour to have the privilege of his wife W crmV r>nw->;-.nv tlmt (vftrrnnnn :,t

Mount Felix.. He asked. Lady Birdwaod to distribute the pocket books containing a picture of the hospital.' ' ; Finally tWl'ong day "efded';by ;an excellent concert" and ;=' entert'ainmferit Contributed to -by bothvthe.'staff. and.-the patients. The medical, reports, next day stated that, none: of; the. patients \y,ere the worse for their unusuaV, exertions! Amongst the many. visitors were ".the High Cojnmkeicmer, with, Mrs. and Miss Mackenzie and Mr. Clutha Mackenzie, Lord and Lady .Plunket :and. family, '.the. Dowager Marchioness of Dufferin, Latlv Eirdwood (whose visit was'much" appi'e-. dated), Lady Hardwicke,. Sir- James and Lady Mills, Jcseph Josephs (of Wellington),' Mr. James Coates, Mr. Douglas: Maclcari, and many others. . ' . " '." The New Zcalanders in .the many other hospitals were not forgotten, for the X'.Z.W.CA. had received -previous Jassiirance that they were going?to have-a pleasant Christmas, and have -had.glowing accounts in many, directions ,of itlio hospitality which had been extended to the men. AT THE HOTEL CECIL. ' It was a bumper house for AnzaM at the Cecil. The bronzed boys.crowded into the gorgeous marble hall—the Victoria—of the hotel, gay with, bunting and Southern Crosses, i They had a Christmas tree without .the tree, for every man Jack got a souvenir of. the day—among them a specially designed Anzac matchbox. These were distributed—and they liked the job—by abevy of fair maids, Australasians- all. who in their turn cherisn what is left of a chocolate box, the reward of their labour of love. A galaxy of stars of the concert platform and stage entertained them, Ada Crossley the chief. Phyllis Dare was topical to the tips, for ehe held a branch of wattle in her hand the while she sang "We'll. Look After You!" And incidentally may be cited here tho fact that one "howler" of the week was made by a-big. daily, which enthused over wattle as the'emblem of Xew Zealand. . . MAORIS' RETURN DAXCE. The Maoris, who had been 6O welj entertained on Christmas Day, gave-in return to their hosts and hostese.ee- n Boxing Night dance, Captain Tahiwi acting as host for the company.' Till midnight they kept the fun up. Iwa sang witchingly of Maori love legends; bakas -were danced. Among the Maori soldiers' gueste were Mr. T. H. and-Mrs. Hamer, and Mr. and Mrs. J. Campbell. SIR T. MACKENZIE'S WORK. The High Commissioner has laboured whole-heartedly to ensure that every Xew Zealarider should "feel that this country was mindful- of his welfare, and the long list of his Christinas erigagemeifts shows that no expenditure of tiiqo and thought was lacking. The mere lret leaves one breathless. To ensure that' n_o New Zealander was forgotten Mr. Mackenzie sent a letter to every Xew Zen - lander in Britain on furlough, asking if he had any Christmas arrangements. To those unprovided the High Commissioner gave a dinner at the Midland Grand Hotel, and amongst those present to welcome the boys back from the.front >yere Lord Plunket, Mr. J. W. Raymond, and Mr. Douglas MaoleWr' Iti hw'epeech' ofwelcome Mr. Mackenzie' recalled ' that twelve months ago he. had addressed them in Egypt, and since then .many of their comrades had passed to the Great Beyond."""No doubt to fight Germans, not they had the opportunity good account of themselves. .

BRISTOL'S HOSPITALITY. • ' Mr. Mackenzie was; the New Zealand spldiers to make known to their own people how magnificent had been the hospitality showered, oh' .them by the people of Bristol, and. how : 3£r. H. L. Riseley, of that city,' ha.d 'organised a memorable-feas,t_to the overeeas men. Over two thousand sat"dow.n ,, to afternoon tea, and a splendid'concert was given by the Bristol Choir. " '.' ' ' ■