SIR JAMES CARROLL'S RETURN

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3025, 12 March 1917, Page 6

SIR JAMES CARROLL'S RETURN

cv:.-': — -*- —. j; > IMPRESSIONS OF WAR AND ENGLAND. ;-"i ■'.•.'.■ I-.-.;'■■ • .•■■•■■•' f THE MAORIS AT THE FRONT. [■'''.:■ ' '■'■ J ■';-.;• In the course of an interview in )■■ 'Auckland, Sir James Carroll spoke with (•'admiration' of the Allied organisation ;'.'.' at tho front, and the fine spirit shown J;,-.'. by the British and the French in the {.:' .Western theatre of war. "That spirit," | said Sir James, "was reflected m tho j. •'■ Empire Parliamentary-Conference, and i'v animates all the Dominions represcut-j-r ed." Referring' to the Maoris, Sir ''<■/'■ 'James said: "I saw them and other ; : coloured men-in their camps, and j found thein very loyal.' disciplined, !■"-."'.'■. y cheery, and efficient. The Maoris are f v 'employed for the most part-as pioneers ■ , in the making of trenches and so {•'.■■'..'.. forth, but they are good soldiers also. [.'-.- ,- The Maoris holding commissions make r' very good officers. These men, South- |' _ erners for countless generations, stand !;-•' the European climate very well, and {■;'. I was informed proved their hardiness [ in the blizzards and other trying con- [.'..'■ ditions at Gallipoli. Tlie coloured men }■'■.-■" ' from South Africa also shaped satisi ' factorily as soldiers, and the French [.-.. troops from Morocco and Senegal imi me very favourably by their j .'quality and bearing. The successful ! •'- issue of the'so Native races under such i . exceptional conditions is the finest posi.; sible endoxsement of . British ana p •".'■'- .French colonial metho<ls of goverui- , ment and training. Under properly- ! selected officers, and with a proper I Tegard for discipline, there can be no y■*■■■'. objection to such (rood-use of our EmI ' pire l s man power." . : A Valuable Organisation. ! .'. Referring to the work of the New !-..'■ Zealand War Contingent Association, I of which a former Governor of this I Dominion. Lord Plunket, is president, j , it was stated that this body manages I practically all voluntary effort in con- '[.■.' nection with our sick and wounded, I and does most valuable service in other |. directions. .This association was form- ... - cd on August 14. 1915, at a,meeting I called by the High Commissioner. j. Efforts were directed towards the for- !• - mation of a hospital for New Zealand I .' ■ soldiers at Walton. Tin's was managed }\. by the association until early in 1916, f wh'en the New Zealand rcedioal men i.'. took control. Ever since the men first I '■■••; commenced to arrive, in the United j .' 'Kingdom the official i. r is ; tors of the [• committee of the association have iit- [:'■'. tended regularly at the bedside of tho j- : patients and ministered io their coni\/i fort, and necessities. Tho Mew Zealand j...-' . '" Club for soldiers, which is located in ['• Russell Square, is <i n-rfi'l adjunct of ;. / _' the association.; There is aconmmodn- ;>'-."..' tion for 250 men', (he conking and •' waiting being done by a lntso staff of ' honorary lady workers.-. Men arriving on furlough are met-bv members of the committee at the station and taken direct to the club, which has been a godsend to hoys "who are strangers in ', London. club has writing, reading, and billiard rooms, which are much • appreciated. There is also a New Zealand Clubs Committee in connection with tin's association, the function of which is , '■..' to provide and maintain clubs and places of amusement in convalescent camps, to make the life p.s attractive as nossibb for our men. The Maori soldiers are invariably to he found with their pakeha countrymen, but ...should thev prefer to dwell together, Mrs. Scott,-who is herself a native, has made a special grant for that iVurpose, and lnoks after Maori soldiers ■K-eU.' Th<> "ST.-.V Zealand branch of the BritH' P.'-f o>fi=!i has latelv en-frosted the War CoviiW'nt Association with i ...the dir-tn'huferi of tlie clothing sent ~'f/>.- (1,/, n;.-,;;. "iul. also remitted considerable sums for comforts and .necessities. . ••' ' Ltovd Rr-«!\*8 a Live Wire. Questioned with regard to 'the public men he iau-mat at Home, Sir James said that it t-.-a 5 - easy to understand • why Mr. Lloyd -'George had come to the - front in the ws.y he had, because that gentleman was a live wire, and that was the qualification mainly required at.tho present juncture. Sir James said he doubted whether in normal times. Air. Lloyd George would _ have , been as well .fitted to hold parties together as; Mr. Asquith, whoso intellectual ability and judicial mind could , not fail to impress everybody who was orought. into contact with him. Both ■parties realised that at tho present time the Qualities mainly wanted were driving powers, and that was what Mr. Lloyd. George possessed to a very high degree, combined with great intellectual ability, as well as virility of mind. Mr. A'squith might have retained the office of Prime' Minister had ho been willing to subordinate his authority in , relation to war matters, hut he felt that it would.be a surrender of trio dignity of tho Prime Minister not to maintain the power as the chief director of tho Government. Sir James added that since his- retirement fromthat position nothing could have been more admirable than Mr. Asquith's attitude towards the Government. Sir James stated he was very much impressed by Mr. Bonar Law, whom ho had heard speak'with force on various occasions. Although that gentleman could not be termed an orator, * still he had "tho gift that arrested the attention of his hearers, and it was due to this fact, combined, of course, ■ with natural sterling ability, that Mr. 1 Bonar Law had such a position in public life. By making him Leader of the '■ , : House of Commons, Mr. Lloyd Georgs had freed himself of a good deal of the responsibility connected with ' tho position of Prime Minister, and had justified his attitudo towards Mr. Asquith. This enabled Mr. Lloyd George to devoto liimself mainly to the chief work to be done now, namely, the prosecution of the war with vigour. Charmed With the French. Sir James Carroll said his visit to France was most interesting. Tho party was given every facility to seo both the British and French lines at tlie front. Sir James said he had visited a great part of France, and was charmed by all he saw. Everywhere he was received with the greatest kindness. Ho /-was also greatly pleased at tho spirit shown by the French people iji the manner in which they had faced the war. His visit to France would be a delightful memory for the rest of his life. Sir James remarked that Mr. Maseey and Sir Joseph Ward were both looking well. Their mission was one of great value, whether looked at from a New. Zealand or an Imperial point of view. Regarding his visit to South Africa, Sir James said that arrangements had been made to make a tour of that country, but he felt that it was his duty to return to New Zealand as soon as possible. Unfortunately, £o missed meeting General Botha. He regretted very much having been prevented from meeting that great colonial statesman.

On thing that had given him a thrill as a New Zealander was the power of the British Navy, and the way their flag was flying wherever he went. The way in which the Navy escorted ves; sels through the danger zone and patrolled the seas was a very striking fact. Every now' and again a fast cruiser would appear and circle around the ship, and then disappear again, thus showing how vigilant was the watch that was being kept. It made one feel proud to belong to such an Empire.