GREAT NAVAL DISPLAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18635, 29 April 1924, Page 9

GREAT NAVAL DISPLAY.

SAILORS AND MARINES. MARCH IN WELLINGTON. (LARGE CROWD ASSEMBLES. SILENT BUT THRILLED. [BZ TE-.EGUAPH.—SPECIAL REPORT'.'R.] WELLINGTON. Monday. To the lilting strain of "Nancy Lee" and other familiar airs, 1500 sailors and marines from the Hood, Repulse, and Adelaide marched through the streets of Wellington to-day. It was a formal naval occasion. The white ensign was carried j>t the head, the officers marched with drawn swords, the rack and file with fixed bayonets. The field-gun parties dragged their highlypolished guns, and feti. etcher-bearers bore their ambulance gear. It was a groat occasion, and this fact wius made patent by the huge congregation of the public, but there was hardly a cheer. Here and there a childish treble was heard in vocal demonstration, here and there a patriot woman clapped her hands and glared at her neighbours who did not join with her, but Wellington once again failed to forget its traditional reserve.

"It- is not done," said a man in explanation of tho silencj, but the crowd, tliongh inartioidate, was thrilled, as was apparent when people who had seen the column pass in Lambton Quay swept down the by-ways to meet it again on its homeward route along the waterfront. Indeed, Many along the hor>jward route marched with the band, but there was hardly a cheer.

One lelt a trifle ashamed of the lack | of vocal expression, and at the civic reception tendered at noon to the admiral and his officers the Mayor, Mr. R. A. "Wright, made what might be regarded as an apology. "We are not," he said 4 "a demonstrative people, not so demonstrative as some peoples, but we are right h'Sart." It was cheering later to find a petty office a man of long service, who knew the North Sea in the days of peril, and during the last Turkish crisis was in a ship that waited at the gates of Stamboul, who said that Wellington's reception was "British, real British. No fuss or noise needed." His impression seemed to be that the New Zealanders , ■were true to parental tradition, enthusiastic, but reticent. Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick Field, at the civic reception, spoke of a feeling of Iromeliness from another point of view. He prefaced his remarks by a story of the inevitable friend of his who called upon an elderly lady and was greeted at the door by the violent abusa of a parrot, a bird that evidently had been trained by a sailor. The old lady, apologising for the bird, said she hoped he did not mind, but that since her husband died she had found the bird most homely. Continuing, he said he had been reminded of home. When the ships first arrived there was gorsa on the hills and a threat of rain. They had had a dirty passage, and— a smile — was a railway strike. These things created a homely feeling, but most of all did the welcome they had received. If the Navy understands Wellington's reserve and reticence as far as the march of to-day is concerned, it is well, but 'Auckland will not do \ny harm if it finds its throat when the men of a united squadron nnrch through Queen Street. The March Past. ''Nancy Lee," and a stirring Irish tune fend a jolly medley, carried the long swinging column up the slopo to Parliament Buildings, where His Excellency the Governor-General, who was attended by Admiral Field, Commodore Beale fend his officers, Mr. Massey and members of the Cabinet, and military representatives, took the salute from the steps. A detachment from the Chatham loaned the bodyguard, and the band_ of the marines on the Repulse played the march past, falling in in iront of the marines for the rest of the march. A few people clapped their hands as the salute was taken.' The bearing and order of the marines gar* them distinction. They marched like a company of guards, ana upheld the high, traditions of the marines for smartness and drill. A Training Cruise.

Tho bluejackets marched with the swing of their kind and made a fin© display, "but it was apparent that apart from its greater purposes the cruise of the Hood jit least, is a training cruise. The majority of the men are young and many have yet to add cubits to their ntature. " Our friend tho petty officer, who said Wellington's -welcome was British, explained that the crew of the Hood bad not been specially selected The backbone of the personnel consisted of men whose blood had salt in it, but a considerable portion consisted of young fellows who still had much to learn. In the past it had been the custom to train youths on the old Victory, but, ha asked, was it not better to train them on one of the latest ships? "The same with the officers," he added. "You'll notice that the bulk of the officers are young. With most of the men they are on a training cruise, learning on the kind ox ship they will have to fight on." Exemplary Conduct of Men.

But youth, aud the absence of war ribbons from many breasts, could not destroy the glamour of this great naval march. Indeed, there was inspiration in the fact that since the war the Shires of England have continued to provide the required number of recruits for the Navy. "And a fine crowd they are," said the pettyofficer. I have never sailed with a crowd of men whose conduct ashore has been So exemplary. They don't get drunk and make commotion," a fact to which the people of Wellington can bear testimony. Certainly to-day one saw a couple of Jack Tars trying to ride a bicycle they bad found. They did not appear to have ever learned'- to ride, but probably they were in the same state of mind as the sailor who was asked if he could play the fiddie. He said he did not know, he had not tried yet. These two lads were trying, but before they had made any progress the office-boy from the third storey came down and demanded that his machine should be del vered up. "Right oh, my son,'' said a "Jack,'' whose age was probably 19, ''I can't agree with the beast. You haven't a scooter about, have you, or a donk ? I'm a prize hand at donks." It is explained that the light cruisers, which are to go to the South Island and Join the battle-cruisers after they leave for Auckland, are manned by men much more mature on the average than the Hood's gay company. The excellent Marines' Band of the Hood had blown itself to exhaustion before the end of the inarch, by which time the wind was blowing hard from the south. At every street crossing along the waterfront gusts filled the sailors' eyes with grit, and carried caps away. Civilians retrieved the headgear. The men left bare-headed did not leave the line, of march.