'SOUTHERN CROSS'

Evening Star, Issue 25425, 5 March 1945, Page 7

'SOUTHERN CROSS'

N.Z. WEEKLY FOR TROOPS While he was in London attending to the establishment of the Fearnleaf Club, a leave centre ifor New Zealand service personnel, Colonel F. Waite, commissioner for the National Patriotic Fund Board in the Middle East, decided a weekly newspaper was necessary to.provide up-to-daie news from home for the men and women of the New Zealand forces in England, and more particularly lor the benefit of released prisoners of war. In due course the ' Southern Cross ' made its how, the initial production costs being guaranteed by the National Patriotic Fund Board. The editor, of the paper is Captain R. T. Miller, well known as a New Zealand war correspondent, and the assistant editor is- Sergeant S T. Mahony. Colonel Waite was also closelv associated with the establishment'of the ' N.Z.E.F. Times," which was first, published in Egypt, and is now hying produced in Italy. The establishment expenses of this paper wore also guaranteed by the Patriotic Fund Board. In addition, the board provided the plant and newsprint ifor tile •Diiblieaiion of the 'Kiwi News ' for the Third New Zealand Division in the Pacific. For the ' Southern Cross ' arransreipi'iits were made for a repeat of the ' N.Z.E.F Times ' Weekly cable service from New Zealand, for the New Ze-iland war correspondents' service in the United Kingdom and the Middle Y.as:. raid for news concerning New Zealand Navy personnel as released by the Admiralty. It is estimated that i the paper will serve some 8,000 New Zealand Armv, Navy, and Air Force personnel in the United Kingdom area It was decided that the first two issues should be of four pages each, and that i Inter Issues- should be of eight pages. '; of the same sine as the ' N.Z.E.F, i Times.' •