OUR POLISH ALLIES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 118, 21 May 1941, Page 4

OUR POLISH ALLIES

CONSUL-GENERAL AT TRAVEL CLUB

The Travel Club was addressed yesterday afternoon by Count Wodzicki, Consul-General for Poland in \ New Zealand, and Mr. W. J. Garnett, Secretary for the High Commissioner for the United Kingdom in New Zealand (Sir Harry' Batterbee). Mr. R. H. Nimmo presided, and spoke warmly of the value of our Polish allies, who, he had been informed by Count Wodzicki, had 40,000 effective fighting men in the field.

Count Wodzicki said he did not feel a stranger in New Zealand. Since he had arrived in Auckland he had felt almost as though he were in his own country, owing to the hospitality he had received, for which both he and his Countess were greatly indebted. He brought a greeting from all his fellowcountrymen who were now fighting with the Allied Forces for the freedom which was the Allies' aim. EUROPE'S BUTCHER BIRD. • It was necessary, he said, that we should know all the German strengths and" weaknesses in order to beat them. Amongst his scientific studies ornithology had received some attention. The study of birds was a kindly science, j but in the course of it he had found a parallel for German brutality.. There was in Europe a bird, as common in England as in his own country—the butcher bird or shrike. It was an attractive-looking bird, but one with the disgusting habit of impaling its prey alive on thorns, leaving them to die slowly there, after which they were eaten. The German was , the butcher bi i of Europe, the German who commenced by heing apparently kind to other peoples, but left them crucified alive on the thorns of its larder. The new world must be built for every nation, and not for one." The whole commonwealth of the British people was fighting for a new world programme based dn the sanity of democracy. ON A POLISH SHIP. Telling of the experiences of himself and Mrs. Garnett on a Polish ship, Mr. Garnett said that all the officers and crew were Polish. The captain had earned distinction in the war in Scandinavia and in the Baltic. It had been a pleasure and a privilege to learn from these people, the first Polish nationals they had met, what Polish people were really like. There were on the ship 600 evacuee British children, and on the day before they sailed 600 troops also came aboard'; and there were other passengers. This was on a vessel which normally would carry no more than 1000 people, yet thanks to the efforts of the officers, what would have appeared to offer a complex situation resulted in a voyage which was enjoyable for all. At the final meeting of the Lyall , Bay Patriotic Committee it was reported that £132 8s 3d had been raised towards the £1,000,000 General Purposes Fupd. The Lyall Bay Bowl- : ing Club's day had realised £38. The committee recorded its appreciation of the help given by residents, and particularly by the Lyall Bay School Committee.