PERSONAL ITEMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24775, 24 December 1943, Page 8

PERSONAL ITEMS

Mr. James Fletcher, Commissioner of Work's, arrived from Wellington yesterday.

The Rev. J. C. A. Zimmerman, of Huntly, has been appointed vicar of Fitzroy, New Plymouth.

Commodore S. D. Jupp, senior United States naval officer in New Zealand, arrived from Wellington yesterday.

Mr. David Allan has been appointed the stock and station agents' representative on the New Zealand Meat I roducers' Board.

Lieutenant-Colonel H. C. Hemphill liaison officer between the Army and the Maori war effort, arrived from VY ellington yesterday. _

Mr. Johannes C. Anderson, the Rev. J. G. Laughton and Sir Apirana have been appointed members of the Maori Purposes Fund Board.

The R°v J. H. Boyd, who has been in charge of the New Lynn Presbyterian Church for the last five years has accepted an appointment to the Mangere charge, which he will take over early in February.

AMERICAN TROOPS PRAISE FOR BRITISH home CRITICISM deplored SYDNEY, Dec. 19 A high tribute to the quality of the British troops in North Africa and Italy is paid by Mr. Ralph Ingersoll, former managing editor of the fiew York paper P.M., who is serving with American forces in those areas, reports a New York correspondent of the Melbourne Herald. , , ■ Mr." Ingersoll has written a book, "Battle is the Pay-off." He says that, in contrast with the disparagement of the British common among American civilians, American troops go to the other extreme. They have an almost exaggerated respect for British fightuis, and the British have the same respect for the Americans. Fighting the same enemy under the same conditions, therelore, they can accurately assess each other's qualities. ingersoll considers that the American lorces still are not the equals of those of Britain or .Russia or even of the -Chinese veterans, but the United States has a splendid lighting machine in process of creation. The war will not be won until hundreds of thousands of Americans are killed in battles against the Germans, which will dwarf the present engagements. ingersoll records that returning American troops are contemptuous and bitter in their attitude to American civilians who grumble over minor hardships and disparage their Allies. Civilians have not the remotest idea ot the nature of the war. He adds that Britain's strength lies in the cold fury which three years of battle against the Nazis has created. The Christian Science Monitors special "writer, Joseph Harschj similarly denounces the American civilian's inability correctly to appraise the achievements of his own forces in relation to those of the Allies. "Beading American newspapers alwavs gives an exaggerated impression of the proportion of the fighting Americans are doing," Harsch says. "Australia has a similar failing. I well remember the surprise throughout Australia when returning Aussies informed the home folks that Englishmen. South Africans and New Zealanders had also done some fighting in Africa."

DEAD HERO HONOURED

FIRST NEW GUINEA V.C. BRISBANE, Dec. 2 The Victoria Cross awarded posthumously to Corporal John Alexander French, of Crow's Nest, Queensland, was presented by the Governor, air Leslie Wilson,, to Mr. Albert French, the corporal's father. It was the first V.C. awarded in the New Guinea campaign. At Milne Bay, in September, 1942, Corporal French wiped out, single-handed, the crews of three enemy machine-gun posts, and was killed in completing the exploit. High-ranking officers of the Navy and Army were in. the small gathering. Mr. French was accompanied by his wife, his son, Lance-Bombardier Eric French, his daughter. Miss Gwen French, and by the" late Corporal French's fiancee, Miss Duleie McMahon. A captain of the A.I.F. represented Corporal French's unit, which fought the action at Milne Bay. NEW POST OFFICES AUSTRALIA'S BIG PLAN SYDNEY, Dec. 19 Plans are being prepared by the Postal Department for spending about £30.000,000, mostly on buildings and plant, over five years, after the war, stated Australia's Postmaster-General, Senator Ashley. New post office buildings were needed, he said. There had been a lack of foresight in planning the present post office buildings, which had been erected to provide for immediate requirements only, without any view to future development and increased' postal services.

Better telephone services, including trunk line services, would be provided after the war, when many special lines now being used exclusively by the Defence Forces would be available to the public. The automatic telephone system would be extended and rural automatic exchanges would be provided.

AIRMAN'S PROMOTION Advice has been received by Mrs. T. E. Spalding, of 19 Mays Road, Onehunga, that her son, Owen Spalding, has gained his commission in the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Pilot-Officer Spalding left New Zealand in 19-12. Educated at Te Papapa School and Sed|don Memorial Technical College, he was apprenticed to A. and T. Burt, Limited, at the time of his enlistment. BANK MANAGER RETIRING After 36 years' service with the Bank of New Zealand, Mr. R. T. Everard, manager of the Symonds Street branch, will retire on superannuation at' the end of the year. Iwo farewell functions in his honour have recently been held. At a gathering of Symonds Street business men and other bank customers yesterday a presentation was made to Mr. Everard, and recently Mr. and Mrs. Everard were the guests of the bank staff at a social gathering, when presentations were made. During the evening Mr. Everard extended a welcome to his successor, Mr. J. D. Gardiner. Commencing his service with the bank at the head office in Wellington, Mr. Everard later was transferred to the Wellington branch, after which he was stationed at Palmerston North, Carterton and Te Aroha before being transferred to Auckland, where he was secretary to several managers over a number of years. He was later an accountant in the Queen Street office and was transferred to the Symonds Street branch as manager 19 years ago.