HEROES OF GALLIPOLI

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2514, 15 July 1915, Page 6

HEROES OF GALLIPOLI

WILLOCHRA ARRIVES

RECEPTION ARRANGEMENTS

Our first contingent of men wounded in tho first few weeks' heavy fighting at Gallipoli arrived back by tho Willochra which anchored ill the stream soon after midnight. Th steamer, which has on board 275 wounded and sick will bo berthed at tho Glasgow Wharf this morning. The nieii ■ disembark later;, - and will bo conveyed to the Town Hall in motorcars 'that aro being provided by the 'Wellington Automobile Club, each car to proceed to .tho Town Hall by,- way of Lambton Quay,' Willis, ■ Manners, and Lower Cuba ; Streets.' There the "heroes of Gallipoli" will.-fao accorded a welcome. • Brief spceclies: will fco mado by His Excellency the Governor; tho Prinze Minister, the' Minister of Defence, and Sir Joseph Ward, and tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) will preside. Tho whole of the ground floor of the Town Hall will bo taken up by 250 small tables, round'.wlrich will bo accommodated the wounded men and their relatives. The latter may secure .tickets on . making application to the . Town Clerk (Mr. J. R. Palmer).' About 150 easy cliaiiy will also bo,provided for those men' who are not yet able to accommodate themselves in the upright position that the '.'ordinary chair demands. : The public will bo admitted to. the gallery.' ' ' The Mayor desires . the citizens of Wellington to line'the route followed by the cars between 2 p.m.' and 3 p.m., that .all who can Nvill make a. display of bunting, and that all will unite, in giving our gallant : wounded a right royal welcome. The. Town Hall will be strung with bunting froip -tho apex of tho'tower to the pavement, and .a special display of bunting -mil be made by the Fire, Brigade at, the Central Station. . . ~ ''.

Where the teachers, and -scholars of. schools express .a- desire, to be present at the reception,' such schools will be allowed a half-holiday. On'such coh-ditioiis-it is practically assured that all tho city, schools will be, closed this afternoon. , • .

If. not too late; the idea has been thrown out that tho school; children might be asked ,to line'.the streets which ; -tho wounded Will take on their way from the Willochra'-,to the Town Hall, and help to cheer the homecoming. NEXT-OF-KIN FIRST. ' ARRANGEMENTS AT THE WHARF. : Tho Minister of; Defence, made a yeiV complete, statement 'in - the • House of Representatives'yesterday about the arfor' .the" reception of the men-in tho Willochra. He said that the steamer 'would have to. bo for some hoiirs in the-stream to enable-the-De-fence -Department''to :do a great deal of work on board the-ship before any other' persons wcro allowed to come aboard or to leave it. It was thought that, it would .be 2 o'clock before tho ship would 1 come alongside the wharf. The-public would iiot be- allowed to go freely on tlio wharf alongside tho ship; there would bo. an enclosure for tlio next-pf-kin, and ..representatives, of the. Press ivould.bo .allowed within this enclosure. . ■.

■ Tlio .'men who wore well enough to: go to the Town Hall woiild bo conveyed in motor Vehicles to the Town Hall, and entertained there. The soldiers, the next-of-kin, :' and ..members ,of Parliament would be admitted' to the;'floor of the Town Hall by'the maindpoi 1 . Thol public would bo admitt«l. : door which gave access to "the gallery.

'• The Minister of Railways., replying to a question,.said tliat ! arrangements had been 111 ado .to give free passes on .tho railways to next-of-kin going to . tho. nearest port at which tho ,-Willoclira called. '•

The Prime Minister' said he hoped that representatives of- the Patriotic Society who had done so much work' for tlio wounded soldiers shouldbe specially provided for in, the 'arrangements, and he hoped that,tho civic authorities would not forget them. . .■ ;. . . Mr. :.'AUen said> that those of the sick <ind the wounded for' the south,, who were well enough, would- go oil by tlie Willochra;' which woiild leave later for Lyttelton. and Dunedin./ Those belonging to tho'North Island would get their passes : giveii to them before: the Willochra' came alongside, and'might proceed to their homes as they tho light fit. He placed on record the Regulations which "i would have to ho followed by wounded, soldiers iiv regard to calling in medical .advice aiid keeping tlio Dei'ehce" Department notified of their, addresses.' : 3 ~

Mr. AV.-H. , Field asked _ was not it possible to fix a definite time for the function this afternoon.

Mr. . Allen: So far. as we know two' o'clock will be. the : time'the men begin to'leave, the ' '

Sir."'Joseph . Ward .suggested that everything 'possible: should he done to get tlio msel alongside the wharf !as carinas could he, so-flat the next-of-kin ■ might have. some undisturbed time to meet!their relatives and- -converse with' them before the public function came on.

.Mr. Allen said.,that lie thought tlio Willoclira would he alongside early enough to allow the men to get to the Town Hall. at 2 b!clock.

Sir 1 Joseph .Ward said that he thought tlio Public Servants should be given : a half-holiday; as well ' as, tlio schoolchildren and- private employees. The occasion would be.one of those interesting/and sad returns' in some respects of the men who had gone out and done a noble work, for the'country, and everybody was.'ailxious to show that they recognised the '-'heroism of tlio men. The Prime Minister said .that lie had suggested to tlio Mayor thai; the civic authorities should call for a half-lioli-. day.. The House would not be' asked to meet: till the evening, or. possibly Friday. Ho had not the slightest doubt that tlio people of Wellington would arise, and ho hoped and believed the occasion would be ono of pride for generations -to come.. Several suggestions . were made that thei Minister should approach the shinping • companies to see if they would give some concession to those next-of--1 kin coming from the South Island, and the Minister promised to do so.'

mot6r-cars urgently needed. 'APPEAL TO OWNERS. The success of this afternoon's function will depend largely on the public spirit of tho, motor-car owners of Wellington.' "Latest wireless advices state that about 250 of those on board tho Willochra will be sufficiently well to be present' at the Town Hall, and it is ostimated that about eighty threc-and-four-seater cars will be required/for theirs conveyance. All owners willing "to place their'cars at tho disposalof the 'authorities for the conveyance of tho men from the ship to tho Town Hall aro invited by advertisement, in ' this issue to assemble at the Glasgow Wharf at 1.30 p.m., when positions will be allotted them by Inspector Doyle, of , the corporation staff. ' This'advertisement is the only intimation that can bo given to owners of cars that'their services aro required, and it is hoped 11iat tho response .will bo an adequate ono, as a - s'liortrigo of cars , would lead to much delay. Tho, invitation, it should bo noted, is-extended to motorists generally whether or not they are members ?f tho Wellington Automobile Club; tho Motor Reserve, or any other organisation.