RETURNED SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3110, 14 June 1917, Page 6

RETURNED SOLDIERS

"TURN DOWN" A RECEPTION

On Tuesday evening thp Mavor Olr. .T. P. Luke) was advised that 120 returned soldiers would arrive in "Wellington from Auckland, including somo thirty odd men for Wellington. With his usual assiduity Mr. Luko, taking into consider; ahon the bad state of the weather, sot about making arrangements to make the men comfortable during the day. He arranged that four tramcars should be in waiting at tho raihvny station, and Mr.s. Luko and her committee of ladies mado preparations of a hospitable- character at the Town Hall. The Mayor, with Sir James Allen, wns at the station when the tram arrived, and gavo the: men an informal wolcome, and let them know what had been done to provido a place and the opportunity to fraternise- with' their relatives and friends. There were, however, many friends to meet the men, and a couple of the" cars were used to convey the men up town. The Mavor himself travelled in tho second car, but on arrival at the Town Hall he was informed that tho men had scattered to tho four winds of the heavens, and aa those who arrived by the second car showed 110 inclination to bo entertained, the reception fell through. The Mayor, whose action was quito commendable, said that it was' evident the men did Dot want to be entertained. His_ only object was to afford a convenient place in town for friends, who were possibly strangers to Wellington, to meet and chat with tho men in whom they were interested, but after being received in Auckland, and possibly elsewhere, the men were evidently "full up" of receptions. A Dominion reporter made an inquiry dynng the day as to the attitudo of the mon. One returned man said that the feeling of the roturnod men was, as he expressed it, that "he did not want to bs mado a little tin< god of." and that his one desire was to got clear of tho atmosphere of lthaki as soon as ho could. "By the time a man has been serving for a couple of years," said our informant, "ho wants to get back into civil life as soon as possible and without any fuss, and these receptions only prolong the agony. I think that is how it strikes the average returned soldiev." At the Returned Soldiers' Club, our re. porter was informed that only four men of those who had returned 'had looked into the club up till about 4 p.m., which supported the suggestion that the men do not exactly yearn after "the khaki atmosphere." After a week or two, how. ever, when they had settled down a bit and got things into perspective, and perhaps found that they needed a little help to elucidate pertain matters as to their position, they came along to tho club, and joined up. Generally speaking, however, they were averse to receptions or anything in the nature of parading themselves before the public.