OUR TROOPS AT AWAPUNI.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2254, 14 September 1914, Page 6

OUR TROOPS AT AWAPUNI.

:— & MARCH INTO PALMERSTON. , SATURDAY'S GALA. MONOWAI AT AUCKLAND WITH TROOPS SENT HOME. MORE ABOUT SAMOA. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Palmerston N., September 12.. Tlio town was decorated to-day on tho occasion of the Expeditionary Force's first ceremonial appearance in the Square. Flags streamed from .- every.mast, and- bunting spanned tho entrance to tho Square from the direction of Feilding, whence tho troops were to arrive after the night's bivouac, and the tradesmen's shops displayed increased numbers of Union Jacks. The troops had lunch at Mangaoue Bridge, _ just outside tho-town, and marched in at 2 o'clock, through streets lined with several' thousand cheering spectators. The parade in tho Square was followed by refreshments, provided by tho Motor-cycle Club and others, and patriotic flower-sellers,-whose supplies came from Foxton, Otaki, Feilding, and other parts, as well as t'he Palmerston gardens, plied a brisk trade. Colonel W. G. Malono, Commanding the .Infantry, in an interview with .a "Standard" reporter, said that the men had borne their ' long march very well. There had been a few casualties from ill-fitting boots, but the march of ,15 miles yesterday, and 16 to-day was done in tip-top stylo. The Feilding people treated them aiost generously with food and a various assortment of refreshments, and all their arrangements were well carried out; AH ' the _ men were put on their honour, and given general, leave except, of course, for guards and pickets, and all conducted themselves excellently. It,could be confidently said that not one went back on liis word. During the past week the men had been doing work equivalent to a 20- ■ miles march a day,'and they were nowvery fit and in good heart. No field I work was done this morning, but had it been ordered the men ■ would have done it cheerfully. As an indication of how well the men have been trained they now do their regulation march of three miles 900 yards an hour in correct time, and in addition they carry practically the regulation weight « 601b. Every -fifty minutes on the march _ a ten minutes' halt js called, as. prescribed by the regulations, and each man re-moves-his kit.' Punctually to the second the work is resumed. This >was the order of tlio march on the way to and from Feilding. .

Departure of ; tho Troops. No announcement can be made yet by the Government as to the date of departure of. the Expeditionary Force. Speaking on the. subject to a reporter yesterday, , the Prime Minister . said: "The business is not in our hands and wo are. not even acting as agents for the Imperial authorities in the matter. What happened when the laßt feme left was simply this: .We were advised that our'ships, had to be at a certain place in the ocean, the latitude and longitude being stated, by a certain* day, and we , had t-o send tha ships away to be there by the time appointed. Something of 'the sort will no doubt happen in regard to this force, and when the ships arrive at the point of rendezvous tliey will pick up the warships which will be their escort." Ho anticipated, however, that more notice would be given before the departure of this force than was given to the Samoa expedition..

WHOLE COST OF THE FORCE. "—' t NEW' ZEALAND WILL PAY IT. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Ghrlstohurch, September 13. The Hon. J. Allen (Minister of Defence) says that the statement in . a telegram* from Dunedin that "the Home Government would liave to provide rations for our mon in England," is inThe whole expense in connection with ihe Expeditionary Force, from the time it leaves New Zealand till it returns, will he borne by the New Zealand Government. Tho . Imperial Government will not be put to any'expense whatever. ' AT TAHUNA CAMP. INSPECTION BY MINISTER . FOR . DEFENCE. (By Telegraph—Press Aesooiation.) Dunedin, September 12.' The Hon. James Allen, Minister of Defence, inspected the troops at Tahuna Park this morning. In the course of his ■ address he read the following messages:— "I congratulate New Zealand on the contingent about to sail, and feel sure it will meet with a hearty welcome here, and that undoubted success will be theirs. I am proud to be their Colonel-in-Chief.—Roberts."

"I learn with much gratification that a - contingent from New Zealand is about to embaxk. I can assure it a very hearty welcome from all here.— Kitchener." CARPENTERS OUT OF WORK. PROTEST ABOUT MEAT SHIPMENTS. • (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Dunedin, September 12. A deputation of carpenters waited on the . Hon. J. Allen this morning and said sixty men were workless. They asked tho Government to proceed with workers' cottages on the Windle Settlement. ' Tho Minister was sympathetic, and said the -Government would do its best to find work for the men. Tho deputation referred to the fact that tho Karamea was loading mutton for America, and pointed outthat this was unnecessary. The Minister said ho know of the matter, and had wired to tho Prime Minister.

PRISONERS OF WAR

LIEUT. D. A. KENNY'S MISSION. Word has been received in Wellington that the formor Governor of Samoa (Dr. Schultz) was formally handed over to tho Governor of Fiji as a prisouer of war on September 3, .tho Monowai having brought him down to Suva on her way backto Now Zealand. - The other official prisoners, who were also placed in custody of tho Government or Fiji, were tho Governor's secretary, the wireless export (Commander Hirsch), and Mr. Hansen, the_ representative of a big Gorman engineering firm at Hong-Kong. Tho officer sent to Fiji in charge of tho prisoners was Lieut. D. A. Kenny, of the stli Regiment, Wellington. After having handed over his prisoners and dispatches, Lieut. Kenny returned again to Samoa.