EVENTS IN NEW ZEALAND.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2278, 12 October 1914, Page 6

EVENTS IN NEW ZEALAND.

GREAT ROUTE MARCH 5000 MEN ON PARADE AT HUTT PARK DIVINE SERVICE AT THE TOWN HALL ' IMPRESSIVE SCENE During the past few weeks the people of Wellington have had ample opportunity of seeing the soldiers who are to accompany the Expeditionary Force. But on nearly all occasions these glimpses 'have been of small bodios of troops, with the exception of the assembly for the farewell gathering, when all were dismounted. But on Saturday a body of 5000 horse and foot marched from the Hutt Park Racecourse- through Petone. Marching four abreast the column extended a distanco of nearly four miles, and took about an hour to pass a given point. From an eminence, as far as the eye could reach, this body of troops, mounted and afoot, 'moved slowly along. -It was an impressive sight, and brought homo to the mind of observers some idea of the magniUire of the struggle proceeding in Europe, whero millions of men aro engaged. This force of 5000 men seemed quite an army, and gave 6ome idea of what the British Expeditionary Force of 160,000 must have looked like as it marched along the French roads en route to its place on the battlefront.

Tho concentration of the troops on Saturday was the largest that has taken place since the force was constituted. It comprised all the South Island men, with the exception of the Otago Infantry Battalion, which was engaged in musketry practice at Trentham, and the North Island troops, with tho oxception of. tho Auckland Infantry Battalion and Mounted Regiment. At 10 a.m. the main body, from the camps around Wellington, and the transports, started from the Thorndon Esplanade, near the baths. Tho column comprised 3500 men. At the head of the column was its headquarters, followed by a squadron of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles Regiment, Otago Mounted Rifles Regiment, Field Troop Engineers, Canterbury Infaaitry Battalion, Wellington Infantry Battalion, New Zealand Mounted Field Ambulance, baggage train (in order of units), and a platoon of the Infantry Brigade as a rearguard. Tho transport was represented by tho horses required to pull the wagons, which wore not taken on the march. Otherwise the force was in full marching order, as on the road to tho front. March in a Cale. At tho starting point thoro had assembled some hundreds of spectators. Tho weather was very boisterous, and a wind-storm, laden with (lust, blew right into tho faces of the men as thoy set out on their long marck, via tlio Hutt Road and Petone. Tho Expeditionary Force bands struck up bravo airs, but the wind proved too great a handicap. The mounted men in camp at Trentham set out on their twelvemile march to the Hutt Park at 10 a.m. and arrived at tho concentration point at 12.50 p.m. About ten minutes later tho advance guard iof tho- Wellington Force reached the park gates. Half an hour later all the men were in the park, where they ate the lunch they had brought with them.

The Force was paraded for inspection by His Excellency the Governor (Lord Liverpool). He appeared to take a keen interest in all the arms, and mado an extended inspection. At 2.15 p.m., headed by Colonel E. W. C. Chaytor, Adjutant-General (the senior officer on parade, in the absence of Major-Gen-eral, Sir Alexander Godley), and Lieu-

tenant-Colonel W. G. Braithwaite, Chief of Staff, the whole force of 5000 men started on their march back, via Petone. The inhabitants of Petono turned out in strong numbers to view the soldiers, and witli the addition of many people who had gone out by train to Petone, a large number lined the main streets. At the entrance to the Petone station Colonel'Chaytor and Colonel Braithwaite took up a stand on the side of the road, and waited whilo tho column filed past. At this point the Trentham men, and the Artillery Brigade, which is encamped at Hutt Park, broke off from the main body and marched back to their camp, whilst the others came on to Wellington, where they arrived shortly after 5 o'clock.