THE PRESS PARTY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10082, 21 September 1918, Page 8

THE PRESS PARTY

DOINGS IN ENGLAND THE MOTHER COUNTRY IN WAR HARNESS. Tho Press Association has received the following dispatch, dated London, July 30th: The party of New Zealand journalists who are to be the guests of tho British Government for the purpose of seeing tho varied activities of Fiigland at war arrived in London on Friday night, after an unusually long Atlantic crossing. They wero met at Liverpool by Colonol Elliott and Mr F. W. Doidge (late N.Z.K.K), of the Ministry of Information, and by a representative of the High Commissioner, and on arrival at Euston by the High Commissioner, Captain T. E. Donne, Mr T. H. Hamer, and a number of New Zealanders. They travelled up most of tho way from Liverpool in company witli BrigadierGeneral G. S. Richardson, who was re- j turning from the Rifle Brigade camp at Brocton. The Pacific crossing was a very fineweather trip. At Fiji, where the vessel first called, Sir Bickham Sweet-Escott, who has completed his term of office as Governor of Fiji and High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, came on board with Lady Sweet-Escott, to return to England, a guard of honour attending them on the wharf. At the. next port of call, Honolulu, in the American island territory of Hawaii, the party received most cordial hospitality, in which tho British Club took a prominent part. Some of its loading members conducted the journalists, with the editors of tho local papers, on a most interesting drive in tho outskirts, afterwards entortaining them at luncheon. " Thcvoynge from Honolulu was without any incident, except that American Independence Day was celebrated on tho night of July 3rd, as tho vessel was expected to reach port the following day. There wore the usual American festivities, and Sir B. SweetEscott, on behalf of the British passengers on board, expressed the Empire's grateful appreciation of America's entry into tfio war. Mr Fenwick, as chairman of the New Zealand delegation, also made an appropriate speech. The proceedings were marked by great enthusiasm. TRIP ACROSS CANADA. The party left Vancouver for the journey across Canada on July 4th. The passage of the Rocky Mountains ana of the great /prairies to tho cast of them, just now giving promise of a most abundant grain crop, was very impressive to all the members of the party, although some of them had made the journey before. At Montreal the Canadian host was Lord Atholstan, owner of tho "Daily Star," whom, as Sir Hugh Graham. Mr Fenwick had met as one of the Canadian delegates s*t the Empire Press Conference of 1009. Lord Atholstan entertained them throughout the day at luncheon nnd driving round the city, and in the evening they wore the guests of Mr M. E. Nicolls. the official representative of the Dominion Government. The CP.R. had appointed Colonel George Ham to bo the official conductor of tat, party to Now York, and they left the same evening. The whole of the arrangements in Canada and the United States of America had been made by the CP.R, on behalf of the British, Ministry for Information, and they left nothing to be desired, either in comfort or hospitality. At New York the delegates stayed at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

Speaking of their short insight into American affairs. Mr Fenwick said: "Tho mombers of the delegation were very much impressed with the depth of feeling in America over the war. .This was evident without exception in the many circles of Mew York society with which wo came in contact. There cannot be any question at all that America is determined that she shall do her very utmost to carry out her part to tho full until the war is brought to a victorious conclusion.'' A FASCINATING VOYAGE.

Tho Atlantic passage is very different from that experienced in tho days of travel before the war. It was full of interest from beginning to end, from ithe time when ttie delegates boarded tho AVhite Star liner Adriatic, on Sat--1 urday, July 13th, untl they were put | ashore" in Liverpool. It was one con- ! tinuous fascination. The convoy system, with which we aro now so familial on this sde of the Atlantic, is a matter of routine on tho American sido also, and it was very impresscivo to the Now Zealand delegates to see the convoyed vessels, all of which were crammed with American troops, forming up as the waters of the bav widened out with destroyers and 'chasers on each sido, and their observation balloons, dirigibles and seaplanes overhead. Tlio 'Adriatic herself was carrying 2500 American troops, chiefly from tho Middle West, and it is scarcely necessary to say that the New Zealand delegates spent many hours of tho voyage in conversation with those splendid young soldiers. There was a great air of confidence) and buoyancy about these troops "They struck us," said Mr Earle, "as a very lino body of men. Thoy woro largely from tho Western districts, and the spirit which they ovinced was exactly what wo like to see —full of confidence and determination. In fact, they put us in mind very much of our own New Zealanders. Thoy were very flattering in their own opinion of tho New Zealanders, and more than one, said to me, ,'Well, our ideal is what you have done. One-tenth of our population ought/ to go to the front. That is our ideal. That is what you have done, and we take off our hats to you.' " All the members of the party remarked, as both Mr Masscy and Sir Joseph Ward remarked a few weeks ago, on tho entire absence of boastfulness amongst those fine young soldiers. Like their camrodes in France, they aro absolutely candid in the admission that they aro out' to j learn from anybody who has more war experience than they have. ARRIVAL IN LONDON. On Saturday morning, Uic delegates first called upon Mr Massey. and Sir Joseph Ward at the Savoy Hotel, and the rest of the morning wtis taken up with tho necessary formalities of receiving callers, giving interviews, andso on. The party was entertained at luncheon by Lord Boavorbrook, the Minister for Information, and most of the heads of, his department were also present.' Tho Minister spoke very frankly and candidly of the objects of

} the visit and of the department, and the delegates -were very much pleased with his interpretation of "propaganda." "The best propaganda for us," he said, "is the dissemination of truth. '"We do not ask anybody to say anything that is not true. What we propose to do is to show you everything wo can, everything that you will be interested in, and leave it to you, as we feel we can confidently, to tell the truth about them. That is the only i propaganda that the cause of the Allies requires. We wish to create a closer entente between the Dominions and the Home country by a better understanding overseas of the efforts of .England." On Saturday afternoon the editors motored down"to Walton to be present at the sports at the No. 2 New Zealand General Hospital. They were re. coived there by Lieutenant-Colonel E. J. O'Neill, D. 5.0., Matron Wilson, and other members of the staff. The Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, and Colonel the Hon. K. rleaton Rhodes wore also present, as well as Brigadier-Gene-ral G. S. Richardson, Colonel Parkes, D.M.S., Colonel G. T. Hall, Major T. H. Dawson, the Mntrou-in-Chief (Miss M. Thurston, R.R.C.), Lady Godley, Lady Findlay, Mrs Richardson, and Mrs Parkes. While the sports were on the delegates saw a good deal of this fine hospital, and chatted with many wounded soldiers, including Private H. J. Nicholas, V.C., Canterbury Itegiment, who a few da3"s earlier had received his decoration from the King at Buckingham Palace. During tho afternoon Mr Massey presented a few medals, and in the evening the party returned to London.

On Sunday morning most of the delegates made, the usual oversea pilgrimage to what used to he called Petticoat Lane, and in the evening they were the guests of the Ministry at the Palace Theatre,, where, every Sunday, tho Government entertains thousands of soldier,; from all the Allied armies. Tho programme included turns hy many of the host music-hall artists in Loudon, and in a short interval an address was given hy Captain Guest. Miss Elsie Janis. the American favourite, who has gfvon up six months of her time to this performance pure and simple, was a groat attraction. The Canadian delegates have almost finished their programme, and ••turned last evening from their visit to France. It is expected that the Australian and South African parties will bo in England within a few days, when they will join up with the New Zealandcrs on the official tour.