MAORI BATTALION ON PARADE

Camp News (Northern Command), Volume 1, Issue 1, 3 May 1940, Page 5

MAORI BATTALION ON PARADE

Large Crowd Watches In Palmerston North • MR. FRASER VOICES COUNTRY’S THANKS I J - . , <■ -; . Marked throughout by an atmosphere [of impi essi veness. a special parade of the [Maori Battalion. in full inarching kit, ‘was wimw oil by a very large crowd that assembled ' f('.un';l the band rotunda-in tin iSquaie this mternoon. the note of impressiveness reached its peak when Sil Apirana Ngata, after a brief speech, which included an. exhortation m Maori. t lt-d the soldiers in the singing of ,their battalion song. The song was sung as ‘only Maoris could sing it, and the silence jthat followed it was truly eloquent. The; Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, and Mrs. Fraser, travelled from Wellington »by aeroplane to see the parade, and he [was accompanied by the Minister of De hence. Mr. Jones. They were met at li.Milsim aerodrome by the mayor, Mr. Mansion.and Mrs. Mansion!, who afterward conducted them, to their seats on the jrotunda. included in the official party [were’ Major-General Duigan, Chief of the [General Staff;- Sir Apirana Ngata am! Lady Ngata; the M.P. for Palmerston • North. Mr. Hodgens; Mr.' L. A. Robb, representing the Australian Soldiers' .'-and LSailois’ Association; Mr. W. R. Hop-k-roft. chairman of the" Kairanga County (Council ; Mr. B. J. Jacobs, president of ®the Palmerston. North branch of the Returned Soldiers' Association; and members of. the Palmerston North City Conn-, veil and their wives e Headed by the Trentham Military ■[Band, mor than 200 returned soldiers .territorial units, and detachments of “cadets from the Palmerston North Boys' (jlligh School and the Technical College, and the battalion, under the command of Dittmer. marched tprom the camp at the showground to a ■ posit in front of the rotunda, where ‘they were formed up in a square. In ig'ront of tlfe rotunda, where the official gparty sat.' had been erected a low platform on which were seated some him dreds of relatives and friends of members > o pf the battalion, who came from as far "afield as Rotorua. Packed round a great “square formed by the soldiers, their reintives ami friends, and the official party, was one.of the largest gatherings seen in North during recent years. rs Following. the National Anthem, hearty [cheers were given for the Prime Minister a on the call of the Mayor. rs “In expressing gratitude to the officers Land men of the Maori Battalion, I am speaking not only for the Government but Mfor the people of the whole of the. Dornin jjion,” said Mr. Fraser. “I am grateful Mor the way the Maoris have' responded ‘“not only to the call of New Zealand and [pthe British Empire, but to the call to The- rally to the defence of humanity it®self." Mr. Fraser said he knew the Maoris would add to the prestige of the New Zealanders who were already in "Egypt, and that they would act in accordlance with the highest principles of their ' race. There was no-need for him to recapitulate- the series of events that led up to the eJwar, but he would say that if Hitlerism .'triumphed the people of New Zealand 'Would be treated no differently from tit hose of Poland. Czechoslovakia. Denmark rfind Norway. . The struggle was one not only for democracy and freedom but for Inhumanity.' “You go forth as champions

di' freedom;” he said. "I know you will conduct yourselves, both in war and in (ace, in accordance with the highest renditions of the Maori people. I wish you good luck, and pray that I may have rhe privilege of welcoming you back home when' the light for humanity has been won.”’ Keen Citizens Of The Empire. "Keen citizens of Palmerston North are proud of rhe fact that the Maori Battalion was trained in their city,”, said the mayor. Their conduct during their stay in the city had been splendid, and they • would leave thousands of friends behind them. The people of Palmerston North had done .al] that was possible to make die stay, of the Maoris enjoyable, and he believed that fact was appreciated. The numbers of Maoris who had enlisted once again proved that they were citizens ?f the Empire. He did not know how long the war would last or what it would cost, but he did know that Britain would see it. through to the bitter end. • He extended to the members of the battalion the best wishes of .the citizens of . Palmerston North for a safe journey and a safe return. Mr. Hodgens said he counted it a privilege to take part in the ceremony. Certain lie was . that the prestige that had grown up round the Maori race would stand io the members of the battalion in the great fight they were about to enter. “It is my fervent hope,”, said Mr. Hodgens, “that an all-seeing Providence will watch over • you while you are away.” All he could say was “Amen” to the message of the Prime Minister. The thanks of the .Maori race to the people 'of Palmerston North, and also to the. Prime Minister, was expressed by Sir Apirana Ngata, who said he also desired to acknowledge on behalf of the Maori people their gratitude to the late Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, for his sympathetic treatment of them since the outbreak of the war. He was proud to be able to say Riat the response of the Maoris to the call for active service had, numerically, been as spontaneous as that of any other ■ people of the Empire. Thanks and good wishes to the members of the battalion were also expressed . by Mr. Jones, Mr. Hopkirk. Mr. Jacobs. snd Air. Robb. i “We won't say good-bye, only au ret coir. was Lieutenant-Colonel Dittmer's brief respons ; to calls for a speech.