VISIT TO ROTORUA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 208, 3 September 1943, Page 6

VISIT TO ROTORUA

MRS. ROOSEVELT INSPECTS THERMAL REGIONS (P.A.) Auckland, Sept. 1. Continuing her busy visit to New Zealand, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt yesterday spent about 11 hours at Rotorua, and into that time crowded a civic reception, a tour of Whakarewarewa, visits to two farms, at one of which a she excitedly nurs«ld a few weeks ■ old lam!), an inspection of a New Zealand servicemen’s convalescent hospital, an.l a Maori welcome and concert, before leaving at 10 o’clock last night for Auckland. Her iirst engagement was a civic reception. After lunch at the Grand : Hotel she spent more than an hour : at Whakarewarewa, where she was ; conducted round the* model pa by : Guide Ran;*, who thus added a wife! of the President of the United States j to the long list of famous persons to ■ whom she has shown the wonders of 1 this thermal area. The Prince of i Wales feather’s rewarded a snort and 1 patient wait, and played up to heights j of 40 and 50 feet. Mrs. Roosevelt ex- ' claimed. “How wonderful.” She also ] saw a Maori dinner cooking over a I

ably a greater percentage of women doing war work than there is here, and certainly more than in the United States.” 2 . The older people had not given the younger people a very good time with wars and the 20 years between them. Now they had to rely on the young people to' fight the most difficult war of all time, said Mrs. Roosevelt. She had seen a great deal of, them, and knew their faults and virtues, but she had always been sure that they would meet their responsibilities when the test came. “On the shoulfers of the young people is going ».o rest the responsibility of building a world worthy of the 'sacrifices of the present,” said Mrs. Roosevelt. In the evening Mrs. Roosevelt attended a rousing Maori concert when she was nominated as “Queen of the Great Democracy.” She was delighted by the eloquent native addresses of welcome, by the melodious singing and graceful dancing. The Maoris presented her and President Roosevelt with a huia feather, a carved canoe paddle, a wooden tiki, a greenstone tiki, and some pois.