POOR RESPEOT FOR A HERO.

Evening Star, Issue 16086, 11 April 1916, Page 7

POOR RESPEOT FOR A HERO.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —As a member of the public who attended the funeral of the la‘e Lieutenant Martineaux, V.G., on Sunday, I was amazed to notice the absence of'officers of i the Otago military district. It was left to three young Anzac officers and a couple of Otago officers of lower rank to nay their last respects to a man who was at least a- hero, and who had gained a disj tinction in the Array to which none of the | absent ones could claim possession. Many ! of our high-ranked officers delight on ocai j sions which please themselves to bo present I in all their dignity at core-mania! functions | and send-off's, and it is good for recruiting for the public to see tile superior officers taking interest in sucli affair?. But because of some slight difficulty in etiquette —which, I suppose, the Anzac officers wove cognisant of as well a? our superior Otago officers —the latter could not attend. should not have written in this strain had none of the public observed the aforesaid absence?, but it was a subject of general comment at the funeral. If the. Anzac officers _ could attend, surely our Otago officers could have appeared, and they would have felt better and more charitable men for doing so.—l am, etc., Sincere. April 10.