HEROES ALL

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 7922, 23 August 1917, Page 1

HEROES ALL

UNDER THE LIGHTS O’ LONDON. WELFARE OF NEW ZEALAND SOLDIERS. (From a London Correspondent). He was a merry English Tommy in London on week-end leave, and he waltzed his heavy kit towards the entrance of the Y.M.C.A. Hut at Euston much as a good-natured dancer pilots a weighty partner through a crowded hall. The hour was midnight, but in these days of warfare one hour is like another in restless Londdn. “Just over from France?” we asked, as we passed him outward bound.

His lilting song ended as with a ring of pride as he answered, “Yus, an’ Pm one of the Dardanelles ’eroes too. ’’

One of the Dardanelles heroes, and still in the thick of the fight. Optimistic of the result on the Western front and bent on making the most of the leave that had been won by months of hard fighting. Already false friends had started him off in the wrong direction, but a glimpse of the brightly shining Red Triangle hasl brought him back to the “good old Y.M.C.A.,” and “ mighty glad he was to be there.” Tommy’s case is typical of the thousands of soldiers from all parts of the Empire who daily and nightly encounter the allurements and snares of cosmopolitan London. And here the Y.M.C.A. is doing as fine a work as in the actual fighting zone. Soldiers are after all very human; they are safest when they are busy and during times of relaxation are apt to drift with the tide. SIGN OF THE TRIANGLE. Since the war began the Red Triangle has become the most familiar of safety signs along the streams of life that ceaselessly flow through this vast, illusive, magnetic London. We have seen sufficient during a fortnight’s leave to mako us realise why a distinguished statesman spoke of the Y.M.C.A. as “one of the seven Winders of the war.” That was many months ago and the work is daily growing to bigger dimensions. Every centre of population throughout the metropolis and the endless chain of suburbs has its Y.M.C.A. Institute, with attractive exterior and home-like touches inside; near the big railway stations and other places of congested traffic are Red Triangle bureaux—rest places by the wayside—where soldiers may read or write or learn how to find their way about London; and places of interest are made accessible daily to large parties of soldiers under the guidance of ladies and elderly gentlemen who arc ‘ ‘ doing their bit. ’ ’ as voluntary Y.M.C.A. workers. Most especially are the women, of England playing a magnificent part in almost every phase of war-time work. NEW ZEALANDERS FIRST. The commissioners who came to England and France on behalf of the Y.M.C.A. in New Zealand have acted on the principle of providing the best for those who are farthest away from home. They have succeeded in making the Shakespeare Hut—headquarters for the New Zealand work—the most attractive Y.M.C.A. soldiers’ institute in all England. At least that is our opinion and we have seen many. We came to London tlirough country that was aglow with the touch of early spring—fields that a. fortnight earlier had been under snow were ankle-deep in grass, the matchless English trees were donning their summer leafage, the winding lanes were made picturesque by budding hedges and primroses by the million, and the fruit trees blossomed massively in token of a bountiful yield. Truly a country worth fighting for.

From Waterloo station we were piloted by a Y.M.C.A. officer through the mysteries of the wonderful tube system of underground railways to that busy part of London, TottenhamCourt road, and thence by a very short route to the Shakespeare Hut. That week-end there were 1000 of our men on leave in London and fully onethird were accommodated at the Shakespeare Hut. The New Zealanders are very proud of their London headquarters,' The men marched en masse from the station, formed a queue past the booking office, and, having secured their beds, w T ere given advice as to the best way of spending their four days’ leave. Some went round in small groups with honorary guides, others went on the Y.M.C.A. omnibus tour (seeing the principal sights of London at a cost of 4s), and otiiers again went out in search of family friends. Meanwhile the hut continued to be the lively rendezvous of soldiers from all parts of the Empire and of members of all branches of the Service. Although New Zealand troops have preference they are by no means the only users of the “best hut in London.” SPIRIT OF THE TIMES.

The Shakespeare Hut is adjacent to the British Museum and stands on a spacious corner allotment valued at not less than £70,000. Its use has been granted by the Shakespeare Society for the term of the war and a specified period after. The style of the building is that of a huge bungalow and the furnishings are as comfortable as the design is artistic. The main entrance leads into a spacious lounge and an equally extensive cafe, separated only by a dividing lattice. Off these radiate a quiet room with writing accommodation for 90 or 100 men; a billiard room with three full-sized tables; a concert hall (including a most artistic stage) to seat 500 or 600 soldiers; and dormitories containing beds sufficient for 400 men. Add to these hot and cold baths, cloak room, hairdressing saloon, and other convenient appointments, and we realise something of the bigness and completeness of the place.

MEMORIES OF HOME. But there is something about the Shakespeare Hut that cannot be described in writing. It is like the difference between a grand house without the atmosphere of a home and a place which however plainly furnished has yet the homely touch. We realised the cause on the afternoon of our arrival. There was a gathering of the honorary women workers for a presentation of medals to those of their number who had served continuously for a specified number of months. Out of a total of 330 in attendance no less than 200 received medals from Colonel Valintine Matthews, one of the principal officers of the London Military District. To hear the appreciative remarks of the colonel was to realise how highly the military authorities value the work which is being done on behalf of the soldiers under the auspices of the Y.M.C.A. Subsequently these 330 vivacious English women, many of them from the best homes in London, assembled in the garden area for a group photograph. Their rose-tinted overalls and close-fitting' black silk caps added colour to a picture such as one sees rarely in a life-time. These women are doing a noble work. They are on duty in turn throughout the whole twenty-four hours. Many have never needed to work in their own homes but here they dust and polish, tidy and decorate, cook and serve with the ardour of a strong patriotism. The cafe is conducted with the smartness of our leading places in New Zealand, and above all the ladies set a standard which has a distinctly elevating effect. Wie mothers and sisters of New Zealand men cannot thank them sufficiently.