FLEET WELCOMED

Grey River Argus, 12 August 1925, Page 5

FLEET WELCOMED

AT FOUR N.Z. PORTS Arrival an Impressive Spectacle WELLINGTON RECEPTION. I Per United Brc-’S Association.] WELLINGTON, August 11. IM beautiful fine but .old weather, the s< uadron ' f the United States Hie, Admiral Coonu, steamed up to Wellir.oton heads this morning, entering r inaptly nt 11.30 ns advised yes day b v the Admiral. \t 10 15 the detaehnient of the American Fleet to Visit Wellington was approaching the Heads. Ihe tiorit ioi General prior to the arrival, received the following telogam from the Com-mandcr-in-t'hicf of the lulled St.,tis Fleet, in reply t > :i cf we. eome, which His Ex.elleney sent on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand.:—‘-The Fleet appro mates the cordial welcome mid thunk.’ you. In 191'8 we stopped at Auckland only six days, seeing only the immediate « .untry, and a few officers visiting Rotorua. Now thanks to the won derfuilv arranged schedule, our officers uml men will visit many plates, and on return to their own country will be able intelligently to describe your grout raid prosperous Dominion. Till’ ENTRY. The squadron show?! up on the horiz n about lO.ib’. and came -temlily in, the battleship Seattle, carrying Admiral Coontz’s ilag leading, followed by the Pennsylvania, Oklohaina and Nevada, i.-.id the hospital ship Relief. Then e.amc the Richmond at the head of the light cruiser division, the others being, Marblehead and Mempnis, with a supplyship outside the heads.

AN AEROPLANE STUNT. A squadron of six senplanes left the ships and came up the harbour in varying formations. They continued t > perform various evolutions, incitluing some “ str.uting, ” as the ships came steadily up harbour to the stream, which the last cruiser reached just bofore one o'clock. ** A SPLENDID SPECTACLE. The senadron pre: outed a fine spectaele a« it came up the harbour. Ihe suu shun- out brightly, in great contrast to the recent wild spell of weather. The two days if bitter cold had left a mantle of snow on the ranges on the east side of the harbour, and tl. ugh the wind hud changed from the aouth to the north, it had a keen edgo front its passage over the liiti.utakas down tie Hutt Valley. HUGE CROWDS. The city of Wellington gave itself up to make a hoi.day for a briei space, nnd a large crowd lined the harbour shores at spots affording a g-'od view of the procession up t? th-? city, lhe ferry steamers carried large numbers of sightseers down to the heads, and launches and yachts were in evidence.

. .FLEET COME TO ANCHORAGE. When nil the ships had reached the stream. the Seattle came to berth at the King's wharf. The Pennsylvania nod another smaller ship sharing berthage there, while the hospital ship went to the Hyde Quay wharf. The rest of the squadron took up anchorage in the stream. While doing this the seaplanes censed dying, and came down on the harbour, Mid taxied to their respective ships and were heisted aboard. Commodore Beale, of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, then paid an official visit on Admiral Coontz. after which Admiral Coontz visited the Governor General. Visits wore exchanged with the Government, Harbour Board nnd City Council. The civic reception will take place at u p.m. and Inter in the evening. Admiral Coontz ami his principal officers will be the guests of the Governor-General nt dinner.

GREAT ENTHUSIASM. The great grev ships < t war. and the while painted hospital ships, moved steadily on. the bands playing, and there were occasional bursts of cheering from the shore mid harbour steamer". especially from the school children afloat, nnd marshalled at various vantage points ashore, while planes circled overhead or speeded here nnd there in orderly formations, from which one would occasionally detach itself to cause the spectators to cateh breath ns it looped the loop, dived or per f. rnied other hair-raising tricks. These craft as they turned and twisted aloft seemed tußied to silver, at intervals, us the sun struck the bright metal fusiJades. WELLINGTON PROGRAMME. A social whirl. WELLINGTON, August 11. The Government buildings, the Town Hall i:jH the public buildings were beautifully illuminated to-night. The programme for this evening was as under: 5 p.m., civic reception at the Town Hall: 7 p.m., Government House dinner to Admiral Coontz an I the principal officers; 8 p.m., tl.e Independent Order of Oddfellows' welcome to the American Lodge at the Concert Chamber; 8 p.m., private dance.

Tomorrow's programme—lo a.nt., ceremonial march through the eity; 1 n.m., Government lu-ichc -n to Admiral Coontz and the principal officers at the Town Hall; 3 p.m. t> 5 p.m., recep tion to the matron and nurses of the Fleet by the Trained Nurses’ Assneia tion, at their club, Kensington Stree'.; 7 p.m., clubroom and diuee at Town Hall; 8 p.m., Evans Bay Yacht Club’? fiance for 50 men; 8.30 p.m., American Consul General 's reception to Admiral Coontz and lhe principal officers at th Ambassadors; Bull tn 25 officers by th--Mn.vor, Councillor,, 1,-jlizyns uf I,owst ||plt; a J 9 Ju Btgwij,