BACK FROM THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 90, 10 January 1919, Page 7

BACK FROM THE WAR

GREAT RECEPTION AT PANAMA

NEW ZEALANDERS' PRAISE ::;:^;\ : EOR. ; AMER][CANS;;\ ; ;;';,

3y isaociation;

- •'•;.-> ■- Auckland, January 3:- - ..The; transport Maungariui (No, .3)3)- ar-rived-at-r Auckland tnis morning .from Liverpool vwitU-. an invalid-draft^ol'..Blo. ol .all. rallies. The vessel was l examined' '- in-Kaiigitotoi-.Channel..-..-.''.'■ -v; - - T.ho-jMauiiganui'left : Livwiiool, on De- ' -• camber 2, and" for the first week- encouii-; tered.:bad.'•; weather;-.:; £jri' two -occasions' i "she"had to heave-to, but beioro long -tho ■weather moderated,-and/ fois.. flie'.; rest. of tho voyage /was ..quite' good. .-' ,-.- -,-■■• ■'■ .:.'■ Afc-Panania the;draft:Wa's-giveii..aii- exr ceedingly warm welcome :by the'-Aiue.ri-juan residents-of the Canal Zone. Not only were; our;meiv liberally; entertained at the •'.two .• terminal.-,ports,- but at ovcry 'lock .the' people '.thvewAaboard.'- packages of tobacco : 'and' ■'. other.■'things- which" they knew the /would, like;: At Colon; 'the- sb.ip-.-was loaded -up'/with' liuigazinesj' fruit, >tobacco,'- and all Ports'of Eatables. 'Special trains werejput on" to-convey'the, .men from, the -part t'o-tho' '-town. •''Ent'ertainpicnts and -refreshments wero..pro-

i vided for them. .They 'were'taken'out.for I sight-seeing trips, and-regular; launch i services wero maintained between •; the " Bhip and-the'siliore.-: In'; fact; their goodwill and generosity', quite overwhelmed . the. men..- One of the. firsUrerasJrks -ad-; ; pressed to. .the newspapor men .who ; went ; aboard ,the!-«iliip'.to-day. .was ii. ie'q'u'est .that sometljing. should bo printed..to. show '.. Jh'o gratitude' of .all., ranks to; their": American friends.'.'.':; '. V!...... r ,',v .'■.'.'■'■•'.?.,' - •'

~. .".JPhe.;.thing'..f'hat struck me' most,'.' said \ .one of. the. officers, "was the. -hearty and .\'.demonstrative. way in'which'tlioy did it, .a 11..' They Jan .beat lis Britishers, -at that.: I; do."think,"...he '.went ;on,; i "t.hat New,; Zealand people ought, to;, do,..sonie^" . thing in-return, or.at, least make them. ; s aV grant in. cash to .help .them' . New'.Zealanders passing, through'....The ,: .people 1 . of , the.- Canal. Zone; are., mostly? Government, employees, and there'are no," capitalists' amongst'them.' I understand , that "wo/only got what, thoy, give-to'^every ! Nw ' Zealand. draft;, and. how ...they .can; afford to-.keep it up-I,doii't ( .nii(lerstand.i .'.Wo..' certainly' ought .'.to -do '.sbhiethiiig^iri' : return."...'/'...-;... ....-". . '-i'.-\'i ~-.'.',!:'-.v'-Vi' . ', On the voyage a certain"amount bf.edii-; 'cntional work'\wiis carried oh under a RC'hemetaow'being'developed in;tjie.New • Zealand .' forces.,: Jcla'sscs : 'in' economics, steam, engineering,':. and ele-i . inentary''.book-keeping, were.; held. ; The' men.who attended showed a- keen: inter-' .est;.,and this .was...especiallyi;so in, fhe! economicsVclass.,;'.... -.;.-..',;-. ..'_/ ',■..-'•.', ..All are/convalescent;' there-are no. cot' t .cases aboard.'-'.,.;,:, ~-..',U':;,"•'?"••■'-: .' ■ ■. -.'., : : y "."'.. The Gisborne" men ."disembarked here,.' ■ but .the. southerners are - going on''by. the same boat this after.no6n..'._■-,...'., .-.-v.../ -,'■ '■; The Tahiti -..with" another draft/is 'ex- » pected at -Port; Chalmers on; Sunday. ■';'.';■ ■