REVIEW OF MAORI TROOPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17458, 30 April 1920, Page 4

REVIEW OF MAORI TROOPS.

A STUDY IN CONTRASTS.

PRESENTATION OF MEDALS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER J ROTORUA. Thursday. Early in the afternoon the Prince reviewed a parade of returned Maori soldiers and some nursing sisters, a number of friendly natives who fought with the British in the later Maori war, the boys of Te Auto College and the girls of the Hukara-e school, and the children of-the Whakarewarewa school, at Arawa Park. It was an essentially Maori function, practically no pakehas being among the spectators. The parade was not without its spectacular effect, nor without its inspiring contrasts. On the right was fully a company of returned Maori soldiers, all wearing mufti except their officers. Their accuracy in drill movements was splendid. In the centre were the old veterans and the smart and well-drilh.d Te Aute boys, making an extraordinary contrast between the old and the new. One of the old veterans appeared in a kiwi mat. Another wore the old-fashioned uniform of the militia, a real claymore hanging at his side. The others wore ordinary attire. On the right were the nursing sisters, including Sister Lewis, who gained a number of decorations for her work during the Servian retreat through the Albanian mountain passes and in France.

After presenting several medals to Maori soldiers the Prince shook hands with all th» returned men and veterans as they filed past him, the assembled natives following the ceremony with intense interest. A detachment of the civil police who wore war ribbons aiso filed past, their splendid physique making a, striking picture. The Prince then passed through the ranks of the nurses and school-children, the verysmall boy of the Whakarewarewa school interesting him particularly.