WELCOME HOME

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 12, 9 October 1918, Page 6

WELCOME HOME

NEARLY A THOUSAND MEN ARRIVE

V.M.C. HAVE BUSY TIME

A balmy spring day welcomed home yesterday the largest, number of returned soldiers who have arrived on onu day. 'uiey comprised a large ilrait, i\o. IV6, wliicn consisted oi some 7Uu men from the Jttiglisli hospitals and convalescent homes, and two lots ot soldiers who arrived from Auckland (hiring the afternoon by rail, in Honour of the men's arrival bunting was llown from the shipping and principal places of business, , and as soon as tho first train-load arrived motor-cars began to whizz through the city streets, steered by drivers displaying the .broad red band of the Voluntary Motor Corps. And a very busy afternoon it was tor the members of that corps. They had just managed to dispose of one trainload when another arrived, and in the meantime the big grey transport had berthed at the King's Wharf, and was pouring out men, the Wellington contingent of whom naturally wished to reach their homes and loved ones as soon as possible. The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) visited the transport in the stream early in the morning. He took with him a liberal supply of fruit and cigarettes, which, after tho long sea voyage, were greatly appreciated by the men. 'Die Mayor says that he never saw men so keen after cigarettes and fruit in his life. It did him good to see what real appreciation was. On board Mr. Luke informally welcomed the men back to New Zealand and Wellington in particular, and expressed the hope that the voyage and a holiday in their own country would restore a great proportion of them to health and strength again. The men said that they had heard at sea of the surrender of Bulgaria. They were all delightfully optimistic about the future; were suro Fritz was breaking his heart for a peace that would save liis skin, and thought that nothing would suffice the Allies short of an unconditional surrender on the part of Germany and Austria. Of aIL the drafts of returned men the Mayor had welcomed none were more cheery and optimistic than these men who have bo lately felt the war pulse of the enemy on tho Western front.. There was no doubt about the way the men felt—it was war until a complete and overwhelming victory fissured a prolonged peace to the world.

There was a very large crowd of people on and off the irharf to welcome the returned men, and in the next-of-kin enclosure many « touching little scene was enacted between gallant "diggers" and their dear ones. As black cars, grey cars,. red cars, yellow cars dashed off with full londs of soldiers, they had to pass through a long lane of girls, who gave each littlo batch of soldiers a round of faint feminine applause and many smile-beams as they whirled townward. Waterloo Quay wis a canal of dust throughout the afternoon, oaused by the endless double procession of cars, some hurrying away with their kha-ki-clnd loads, others speeding back to the wharf to pick up fresh loads. Approximately 000 soldiers were landed in Wellington yostcrday.

HOTELS CLOSED ALL DAY. • According to the new regulations the hotels were closed for the- sale of intoxicating liquor the whole of the day. The official notice rend from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Ap the hours prior and subsequent to those mentioned are closed hours always yosterday was a Sunday for the hotels.