ARRIVAL OF TROOPSHIP

Otago Witness, Issue 3383, 15 January 1919, Page 36

ARRIVAL OF TROOPSHIP

MAUNGANUI AT AUCKLAND. WARM WELCOME AT PANAMA. AUCKLAND, January 9. The transport Maunganui (No. 203) arrived at Auckland this morning from Liverpool with an invalid >drait of-840 men of all ranks. The vessel was examined in the Rangitoto channel. The Maunganui left Liverpool on December 2, and lor the first week encountered bad weather. On two occasions she had to heave to, but before long the weather moderated and for the rest of the voyage was quite good. At Panama the draft was given an exceedingly warm welcome by the American residents of the canal zone. Not only were the men liberally entertained at the two tei-minal ports, but at every lock people threw aboard packages of tobacco and other things which they knew the soldiers would like. At Colon the ship was loaded up with magazines, fruit, tobacco, and all sorts of eatables. Special trains were put on to convey the men from the port to the town, where entertainments and refreshments were provided for them. They were also taken out 'for sight-seeing trips, and regular launch services were maintained between the ship and the shore —in fact, the goodwill and generosity quite overvAelmed the men.

the first remarks addressed to the newspaper men who went aboard the ship to-day was a request that something should be .printed to show the gratitude of all Panics to their American friends. "The thing that struck me most," said one of the officers, "was the hearty and demonstrative way in which they did. it all. They can beat us Britishers at that. ' I do think," he went on, "that New Zealand people ought to do something in return, or at least make them a grant in cash to help thorn to entertain New Zealanders passing through. The people of the canal zone are mostly Government employees, and there are no capitalists amongst them. I understand that we only got what they give to every New Zealand draft, and how they can afford to keep it up, I don't undei--stand.' We certainly ought to do something in return." On the voyage a certain amount of educational work was carried on under the scheme now being developed in the New Zealand Forces. Voluntary classes in economics, steam, engineering, and elementary book-keeping were held, and the men who attended showed a keen interest. This was specially so in the economics class. All the men are convalescent, and there are no cot cas&s aboard. The Gisbormo men disembarked here> the southerners going on by the Maunganui this afternoon.