ADA REEVE LIKED NEW ZEALAND

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 41, 12 November 1917, Page 6

ADA REEVE LIKED NEW ZEALAND

"MOST PATRIOTIC COUNTRY I KNOW." "Now Zealand? 1 love, it," said Ada Reeve when she got back to Sydney and had time to be interviewed about her impressions. "In" all ray previous experiences as an actress-woman I never .'lad such a reception as New Zealand gave me ,on this trip. It touched me and it thrilled me. It thrilled me because I knew that it was a sign of the loyal feeling of the most patriotic country I know. These good folk were one with me in heart and purpose because they felt that 1 was one with them in my desire to help the boys in khaki. "I had delightful experiences. At every place I touched some invalided lad would come up and tell me that he met me in London on such and such an occasion. Some of them had lost limbs and were not the splendid boys physically that they were when I first met them. But they had shed their blood for us, and in their eyes was the light—ah, that finest, sweetest light!—of duty bravely and unselfishly done. I loved meeting them again. It meant very much to me. I feel that it is a happiness for n. woman to bo able in any way to help boys like these. But there! Every British woman who) is worth her 6alt feels like that.

"As I have gone about the world of late the soldiers have giyen me badges and tokens till I have a remarkable d'ollection of such keep-sakes. Some of the hoys have fallen, and I have been privileged to meet their mothers and sisters out hero. How wonderful it is, this high call that 6ends men cheerfully out to give their lives for others tlmt makes w\ak women strong to give their nearest and dearest! I cannot tell you how I feel about this war. I dare not even

try. "Let me say something about an undeserved reputation. There is a theory that Duncdiu ! s a cold Scotcli town. It is, I assure you, the heartiest of places. JDuncdin picked me iip I lie very moment of my arrival there, and gavo nie a great motherly hug. AVJien I tallied about the boys at'home to the. neople down there eyes lit up and bauds responded. J found Dunedin splendilly Snd spontaneously liberal in its giving. "What a country it is, that New Zealand! Only a million of a white population, and already 120,000 have gone to the war. Otber thousands are getting ready to go. They are calling up the married men now. And th'ere is no slackening of effort visible anywhere. In the Empire's cause New Zealand is literally ready to give the last man and the last shilling. "And I know that Australia is just as ready, or will prove just as ready when it Mines to the pinch. Thero are political distinctions, but Australia and New Zealand arp the same human Commonwealth. You must pardon mo if I have not had much to'say about theatres and the things a comedian is expected to care most about, but my heart is too full now now. I believe it is onr duty to keep cheerful, but it is incumbent on us to keep on in the great causc to the ultimate pitch and limit of our strength." j