NAVY'S TASK ENDED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20794, 10 February 1931, Page 12

NAVY'S TASK ENDED.

PREPAEING TO SAIL.

GOVERNOR VISITS SHIPS.

ADDRESSES TO SAILORS.

GRATITUDE OP COUNTRY.

HIS MAJESTY'S INTEREST.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.] NAPIER, Monday.

All three warships are preparing to leave Napier. The Diomedo is to escort tho Veronica to Auckland, as it is feared that tho hull of the latter has been strained.

It is expected to take tho Veronica out stern first with tho aid of tugs. Ihey aro duo to sail to-morrow. The Dunedin is to leave on Wednesday on the way to England to refit. The departure of these warships is indicative that the civil authorities are fully capable of controlling the situation. The Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, and Lady Bledisloe, who aro still in the earthquake area, spent last evening in their railway coach at Napier station. This morning they paid a special visit to tho two cruisers lying in the roadstead. A fairly heavy southerly swell, which makes tho trip from the port to tho cruisers somewhat uncomfortable, could not deter Their Excellencies from personally expressing the thanks of the country to the men who have done so much for tho stricken town. The Vice-Regal party first visited the flagship Dunedin. Tho ship's company was paraded on tho quarter deck and Lord Bledisloe addressed tho men. " I am sure it would be in accord with the wish of the King," said His Excellency, " to express to you, on his behalf, as I do on my own, appreciation for all you have done for this stricken district. Spirit of Confidence. " It is quite clear that had it not been for the spirit of confidence your presence inspired the disaster, terrible as it is, would have been far more serious. All of you havo worked manfully in the gruesome work of recovering bodies, the demolition of buildings, maintaining communication with tho outside world, distributing food, helping with the injured and restoring the water supply. "Tho officers and men of the Roja! Navy havo shown that they are prepared to turn their hands to all tasks which confront them. Shortly after arriving here on Saturday I communicated with His Majesty, in obedience to his request, telling him of tho position as I saw it.' I said then that inmmense credit was due to the officers and men of the New Zealand squadron for their ready, magnificent and indefatigable work. I shall take good caro to continue to inform both His Majesty and the Government at Home of what you havo done." Commodore Blake made a short reply typical of the spirit with which the Navy has faced the disaster. " What we have done has only been our duty," he said. " What we have been able to do has been appreciated on all sides. We have received ready assistance and co-operation from all, and I know that every man on the three ships has been only too pleased to do what ho could. I have to thank Your Excellency very much for your kind remarks." Talks With Refugees. After leaving the Dunedin Their Excellencies visited tho Diomcde, where they were received by Captain de Meric.' Lord Bledisloe again addressed the ship's company. His Excellency continues to take a very real interest in tho plight of those who have lost their homes in the earthquake. Many of them who do not wish to leave tho town are still living under canvas at Nelson Park. After paying a visit there on Sunday Lord Bledisloe sent? a message to Wellington requesting further supplies of bedding, clothing and foodstuffs.

Their Excellencies visited the centres of relief activity in the town to-day and talked with the workers and refugees at cvory playo visited. , They stayed some time at; the Hastings Street school talking to people -who were enjoying a meal at a free food depot. They visited the camp of the Royal Marines and complimented them on their excellent work, and also visited some of the outlying districts. Their Excellencies are spending to-night in their fi>lvate railway coaches.

"A FELLOW FEELING—"

UNEMPLOYED MEN HELP.

NEED FOUND BY ACCIDENT.

A fino example of self-forgetfulncss occurred in ono of tho Palmerston North refugee camps last week. When it was decided to establish the camp a party of a dozen returned soldiers arrived and worked hard all day, filling mattresses, sotting buildings in order and doing anything that was asked of them. When tho time came for them to go home, it happened that a small quantity of fresh food remained in the cookhouse. Tho official in charge of the camp, himself an exsoldier, told the men quite casually that they had better take it homo so that it should not bo wasted. On coming back a littlo later ho saw six of the men very carefully dividing up the food into equal portions, ono for each. They wero not at all large portions. ''Do you know why it was?" he said, in rotating tho incident afterwards, "Those six men had boon unemployed for weeks, and so far as food was concerned their families were nearly as badly off as the refugees. Yet they had been among tho first to come forward and help others in trouble. They had never breathed a word about being in need themselves. It was only when I saw them -dividing those pathetic little pioces of meat and questioned thorn that I learned the truth. I can tell you that so lonp as this camp is going their families will not go short of food."

TENTS FROM NGARUAWAHIA

FURTHER 500 FORWARDED.

An additional 500 tonts were forwarded from Ngaruawahiu to Palmerston North last evening, a truck being attached to the second express.