GENERAL SIR lAN HAMILTON'S VISIT.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 45, 30 March 1914, Page 6

GENERAL SIR lAN HAMILTON'S VISIT.

The visit of General Sir- lan Hamilton is being eagerly anticipated by the cadets of New Zealand and especially by those of North Canterbury and the West Coast. A detatchment of about 550 lads from these commands are to come to Christchurch to. attend the big review, and to many of them the visit will be unique. Some have never been to Christchurch, and it will be endeavoured to make their first visit a memorable one.

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A list of these medals makes a novel if picturesque military, history. Sir lan has, the Afghan medal with two clasps, the Nile Expedition medal with two clasps, and the Khedivial star, the Burmese Expedition medal with clasp, the Tirah campaign medal with clasp, and of course all the South African medals, with a promotion during his three years there from colbnel to lieu-tenant-general. He received his first English decorations for Burma and Chitral; 'and has besides the first-class Order of the ■ Grown of Prussia, the Grand Cordon of the Order of Sacred Treasure of Japan, the Grand Cordon, of the Military Order of Merit of Spain, j J i. - • ,

THE SUN'S CADET BILLETING FUND.

For this purpose THE SUN has inaugurated a fund. A sum of about £IOO is required and the money will be used to provide rations and entertainment for the visiting boys, who will be Encamped about the city. A squad of 100 will be accommodated in the Christ's College Gymnasium, and (Mr W. B. Cowlishaw has offered to house a similar number in Fendalton. i The efforts of THE SUN have met with gerferal approval, and already much public interest has been shown.

The movement to enable these boys to. come, to Christchurch is all the more interesting in. view of the fact that General Sir lan Hamilton is a strong supporter of the cadet movement. He began his military career as a cadet, and indeed was literally born in the Army. Sir lan Hamilton is a graduate of the Kitchener SchooL and made his greatest military reputation in commanding ! mobile columns in the Western 'Transvaal during the closing years of the Boer War. He Was the eldest son of Colonel Christian. Hamilton ' and Corinna, daughter of the third Viscount Gort. He first saw thejight at Corfu in the _ days before Lord Beacorisfield r e"s tc>r ed these "islands to Greece; arid after a military education he entered the Army at the age. of twenty. • Since then his record, .has been one of continual success and progress, with a record in the shape of medals and decorations perhaps unequalled by any other general officer in the Army.

and the first class of the Order of the Red Eagle of Prussia, The following subscriptions were received from callers at THE SUN office to-day:—O.K. 1/-, Advertiser 1/-, Territorial 1/-, "Peed the Brutes" 1/-, A. C. 1/-, Sympathiser 1/-, K.S. 1/-, Cadet 1/-, "Mother of Seven" l/ r , J. B. S. 1/-, G. K. C. 1/-, Soda Biscuit 1/-. The Mayor (Mr I*. Holland) stated to-day .that he had received a satisfactory response to his appeal to citizens to provide homes for the visiting cadets. He hopes that citizens will billet at least 400 of the boys privately, and if this expectation is to be realised he will still need a large number of offers.