AMONG THE VETERANS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 751, 25 February 1910, Page 6

AMONG THE VETERANS.

MESSAGE. FEOMLOED. KITCHENER., ; ..-: '"HE'S/A GALLANT-MAN> - • 1 "He's a'broth, of a boy for an' Irishman!"; "Irish?" -"He's as ; Irish ■ "ae Paddy's pig that. —" Tie history-in:brief of..'.Paddy's pig, which/proved: it: to be Irish, ,was. lost. upon the. Saxon, interviewer,' but., if.was. clear ■; that the .Irishman;, in: LoidlGtchener' was what most impressed, a number' of the. veterans; ■

It; is. -probable -that, of all the events and personages of yesterday,-. most impressed Lord.-Kitflhener.: He had a. special, eye. for them .when, he landed 1 at .the wharf,, and he- sent a .special message, to fchem' : after the. reception at the Town Hall. The message .-was delivered by Coloiiel:Newall, after the ■ Field-Marshal and .'the. public ■ had ; departed, r as follows:—■ .'■■;: v ",-..' . '.'.; .'■.'.■'.;"..';'; '•' .

"Well, .-■ boys, comrades, • the message I have for you;from "the and illustrious soldier,' Lard Kitchener, is to.tell .ypn.how ipleased he is to see so many of: you. with' your ribbons, medals, and orders. 'T daresay,' if- the room had not-been so, uncomfortablypacked, and:the atmosphere , a-bit too. warm,' he might have' stayed with U3 ; a little, but. .his. engagements are many, , and I daresay by tlie.time he leaves Auokland he'll be fairly.woU tired : of us all;- (H«ar, : hear.) -He's. .a;'ga!lant4looking'' man,-and;we know, ■htfs a' gallant man." .(Applause.).- :

. .There, have been r larger "gatherings .of Veterans in Wellington; but 125 were present at.the reception yesterday. ; Some of theui came from as far as New Plymouth. One.man, with,four:medals'/on his.chest, looked so impressive that a Dominion representative was moved, to'ask what they were for. ."Just look at-them,"'replied the;old'man proudly..'.. .'. . • ..,'.;,.

The inspection: told of good and'ancient service/. - There .were a Persian ■■ medal, one,-for the .relief of Luckriows:.one for long. service ' and good conduct, 'and a fourth.. for k ; meritorious conduct.. "Are there" any' other ■■ Liicknow' men:: in Wellington? asked the renorter.. ; "I don't know if there's' another," was the answer.. The bearer of these trophies had been an New'Zealarid since 1873. "I joinedthe Army'in;lßi2," he said.. "I shall be S6in' July:" Hβ looked a strong, upstanding man;,in spite, of his grey hairs.. ' . I suppose I am the youngest of the veterans, said an apparent boy., He was, however, older than he',looked,'; arid had been, under fire ;in two continents. His medals.showed that he was iri'the'Tirah campaign under Sir William'.Lqekhart (1897-1898), on the Punjab frbntier, in the sariie year,'and'at Belfast; the relief of Ladysmith, Tugela Heights, and in the fighting, in Cape Colony, in South Africa! Other.medals worn, by the old '-. soldiers were : those. .of the , New . Zealand ; war, which. l were most nrimerons, v CJiina, and vthe , Crimea. ; .Most of. these.men looked younger than they were; and felt yonrig_eT ■than they looked: Evidently the soldier wears -well when he does not nappen- to be shot. -All of ...them' had' a- .wholesome, respect and adnriratfpn for Lord Kitchener. 'T. wouldn't care to. come up before •him for an act of.insubordination," .one cbiifpssedV "Iguess that he'd be. pretty stiff with .you.", ..; ... ..: ~...--.. :,:■•:,- .Fifty-three more veterans, arrived from Tarari'aki last, night,' and will go'-to ihe Hutt. racecourse, this morning to, be inI spected by Lord Kitchener. Some of them have.come' 243 tailes to'see the .FieldMarshal. :'■ ,- : '■'.- ■ .'■ ..'_■'