TROOPS PRAISED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23699, 4 July 1940, Page 10

TROOPS PRAISED

NEW.ZEALAND FORCE CALM AND CHEERFUL SIGHTSEEING ' IN LONDON By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON, July 3 "I have seen something of the New Zealanders in London during the past week and I must say they are. grand," said the distinguished novelist and literary critic, Sir Hugh Walpole, in a broadcast address from London. Sir 'Hugh said liis father was the vicar of St. Mary's,' Auckland, and Sir Hugh himself was born in a house close by the churcli. ;He-Joft New Zealand at the,ago of five years,and had never been back., He-was to have visited his birthplace, this year, but Hitler had prevented this. He had always thought himself ,ii proud New Zcalander. He was as happy as lie could be when he .saw. the New, Zcalanders at the. Ad el phi Theatre, in the Strand., . .

Trip on the Thames ■ The novelist said he had accompanied a party of 50 New Zealand soldiers on a trip 011 the Thames to Greenwich, on which they passed historical buildings, such as St. Paul's, and docks and warehouses. Ho had been prepared to illustrate all these with anecdotes in history, but he soon found that his companions already had a good knowledge of these parts. On the way boys shouted and waved as soon as they saw the New Zealand soldiers. Greenwich, the observatory, the hospital and the marine school made a climax to the voyage. The New Zealanders were thrilled with Greenwich. The New Zealanders, Sir Hugh continued, had brought with them some of the sunshine of their country. They were wonderfully calm and cheerful. They were in Britain to defend that country. There was no splitting of hairs and argument from their point of view. In Britain, there was a job well worth doing and which %vould have only one result. No Airs and Graces "We Englishmen have been accused before of a certain amount of social snobbishness," said Sir Hugh. "Some of my companions, who have been here before, told me that they have noticed a change in us—that now we have no airs and graces. This is a good thing because we have no time for that."

Sir Hugh concluded by saying that he hoped to see plenty of the New Zealand soldiers.

The New Zealand High Commissioner in London, Mr. W. J. Jordan, has expressed New Zealand's gratitude for the kindness that has been shown in Britain to the Dominion's forces.