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Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17982, 26 December 1918, Page 4

For the first time for five years i\ T ew Zealanders have been able to celebrate their Christmas free of the terrible spectre of war which has hung like a pall over the horizon of the whole world. ; Yesterday was a day for which many had been dreaming for long, weary months, during which timo it seemed as though the spirit of peace had forsaken the nations of the earth and had left them to tho Armageddon prophesied in tho days of old. Now, however, as swift as was tho thunder-bolt of war which struck Europe, and reverberated to the uttermost ends of the earth, has the Dove of Peace again descended on the land and declared " Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men." With thankful hearts New Zealand mothers and fathers were able yesterday to worship at the shrine of their homes, realising that those of their loved ones who had not fallen victims to tho ravishes of war would also be participating in the Yuletido festivities which throughout the world were probably celebrated with a joy unequalled on any Christmas day aince the Star shone on Bethlehem.

News which will be welcome to many thousands of our soldiers overseas as well as to those who have returned, has been reported from Wellington to the. effect that General Richardson, Commandant of the New. Zealand Forces in England, will probably be returning to New Zealand to take charge of the Military Forces here. With the single exception of General Rirdwood it can safely be said that no other general has been so popular with New Zealand soldiers during the terrible times that have ensued since the country first sent its soldiers overseas. Other distinguished officers have been equally mindful of the personal welfare of our boys in the trenches and hospitals, but, owing to his almost passionate interest in the life of the individual soldier, and to his wonderful insight—horn of personal experience—■ of the nature and feelings of the men, General RiichardsOm has become the real "father" of our troops abroad, and ha* endeared himsolf, as no other officer has done, to every man with whom he has come into contact.

Himself a ranker, and with experience of our fighting men, both on shipboard and in the trenches, General Richardson has, through sheer ability risen from a humble gunner to general officer's rank. During this war he has taken a lion's share of active? fighting and waß early sent by Mr Winston Churchill to help stem the tide of the German invasion of Antwerp. Under General Paris, commanding the Naval Brigade, General Richardson remained in the besieged city until all hope had gone, and when it was finally decided by the Higher Command to evacuate the city, he took charge of the retreat--4

ing garrison, with tho full determination to hold the Germans at bay until Antwerp's last gun had spouted death on tho oncoming hordes. Further effort, however, was hopeless. To tho river the General sped, and, destroying the bridge behind him, lie cut off all possibility of further attack, escaping capture at the hands of the Huns by barely three minutes. Later, at tho Dardanelles, General .Richardson again took an active part, with the Naval Brigade, in attempting to secure the heights of Achi Baba, and lived for many months amongst the boys in tho trenches.

After the evacuation of tho Peninsula, General Richardson went with General Paris to Salonika and subsequently to England where General Godley selected him for the post of Officer in Charge of Administration of i;he wholo of the Expeditionary Force, as well as Commandant of the troops in England. It was in England that General Richardson, by his persistent efforts on behalf of our men, his largeheartedness and disregard for red-tape (though himself a member of the War Office) made for himself an army of admirers who are unanimous in their adulation of their General. The wounded wero his primary consideration, and it was be who more than two years ago organised the schools of vocational training for those who were -no longer able to follow their pre-war avocations-

For many months General Richardson has prepared for the demobilisation of our troops and, so splendidly has he succeeded from his end of the world in organising tho machinery fo- returning our soldiers to their L ..oh, that many thousands of pounds will bo saved to tho New Zealand Government and many weeks will be saved in transferring our citizen army to civil life. An application of his magnificent work in England was evidenced by a recent speech in the House when a men/ - stated that though he himself was wrongly opposed to a military man being appointed to the position of Minister of Repatriation, yet he would withdraw his objection, providing General Richardson were selected for the position. Tho organisation for demobilisation in England is now so advanced that within a short time the bulk of our men overseas will have returned, and were General Richardson now recalled thero is little doubt but that he would supply the deficiency which now exists in the Defenco Department. General Richardson first organised vocational training classes in England, and prepared the, way for repatriation. As Commandant of the Forces in New Zealand he would be able successfully to complete his great work.

One of tho effects of the war has been the production of schemes to bring closer together members of the British Empire and also the Empire and other nations that have fought against Germany's bold attempt at world dominance. One of these schemes has been brought under notice by Mr G. Hogben, of Wellington, formerly Director of Education in New Zealand. 'Hie proposal, briefly, is to establish at Plymouth, England, an International University. The object is first to mark the end of the war, and secondly to fittingly celebrate the reconciliation of Great Britain and the United States. The originator 'of tho proposal is Dr Rendel Harris. He began a career as university professor at Cambridge, later was appointed to American universities, and finally to the famous Leyden University, Holland. At present he is one of the most distinguished . Oriental scholars in the Empire. He has made a special study of the relationships between Great Britain and tho United States, and is said to know them as they are known to few other men.

Dr Harris suggests that the AngloAmerican University should bo opened at tho tercentenary of tho sailing of the Pilgrim Fathers for New England, which will bo in 1920, and that the institution should.be entitled the "Mayflower University." As the Pilgrims took their final departure from Plymouth, that town is selected as tho most suitable place. An actual site has been hit upon in tho Old Citadel, which no longer is used as a place of defence. It is proposed to vest the government of the university in British and American hands, and that, whilo half the ncmber of professors should be British and half American, a place should be found for professors and students from Holland, in recognition of the part that country has taken in tho history of the Pilgrim Fathers.

Another item In tho preparatory arrangements is that tho first professorship should be in tho English language and literature," tho common inheritance of tho British and the American nations. A preliminary endowment of at least £2,000,000 is felt to bo necessary, and Dr Harris believes that this will not bo burdensome if Australia, Canada, New Zealand and perhaps South Africa join the Old Country in the enterprise. Lordßryce and Professor Gilbert Murray aro taking part in Dr Harris's campaign to provide the endowments, and it is hoped that the scheme, which Mr Hogben says has the approval of Sir Robert Stout, Chancellor of tho New Zealand University, will receive a fair share of support in this Dominion.