IN MALTA

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2544, 19 August 1915, Page 3

IN MALTA

—;—j CAPTAIN MABIN AND THE. AUSTRALIANS. Tn a country _ newspaper published at Cobden, Victoria, there appeared the other day an interesting letter from an Australian soldier (Sergeant J. W. Kerr), in which mention was made of Captain Mabin, in command of the first Maori Force. Sergeant Kerr said: — "Probably the. most popular man here to-day is Captain Mabin, a New Zealand officer attached to the Maori forces, who are stationed here. Tho ladies liko him, tho citizens respect him, while this soldiers of all ranks adore him. When we arrived here—although wo were treated in a rare manner— there were lots of things needed by a soldier that ladies' committees and patriotic societies could not imagine. Moneyless and without clothes, and not 'allowed the privilege of walking out beyond the precincts of the barrack Bquare, the Australian, despite the fact that everything was being done for him, nnd'that he had kindly attentions lavished upon him, .felt more. like a caged magpie than anything else, and though (to give them their duo the barrack officers allowed every possible latitude to tho colonial), nothing that a charitablydisposed community could devise was left undone, it needed just the little leaven of colonial assistance to leaven ; tho whole lump of our existence. You can scarcely reconcile our condition during those few days. Wounded and miserable almost, hearing no news, and wondering whether the, whole of our Australian army—tho men in whom our native land had placed its honour— would 'hold on' or be wiped out by tho treacherous and merciless foe. Then, Captain Mabin came along. He is a colonial, with colonial ways, understanding us, and us understanding him. Due to his unceasing energy we got money, clothes, better food —and what tho men enjoyed as much as anything— 'passes.' The Australian soldier may not want. to go out of '.barracks' for any particular reason, but he loves to know that ho can go if he wants to. Ho not only worked for us, but for all the other troops as well, and the hidebound discinllnarian of the British Army stood aghast at what a colonial officer would do for the men. Long after the memories of i Gallipoli have faded, and long after the wounds have healed, we will have a tendei' spot in'our hearts for Captain Mabin."