HEROES ALL.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 11 April 1918, Page 2

HEROES ALL.

UNDER THE LIGHTS O'

LONDON.

WELFARE OF NEW ZEALAND

SOLDIERS

He was a merry English Tommy in London on weeic-end leave, and he waltzed his heavy kit towards the V.M.C.A Hut at Euston much as a^ ; , , good-natured dancer pilots a weightjnfijkpartner through a crowded hall. Th|^£ hour was midnight, but in these days of warfare one hour is like another in restless London. > t "Just over from France?" we asked, as we passed him • outward bound. His lilting song ended, as with a ring of pride, lie answered, " Yus, an I'm one of the Dardanelles 'crocs, too." One of the Dardanelles heroes and still in the thick of the fight. Optimistic of the result on the Western front, and bent on making the most of the leave that had been won by months of hard fighting. Already false friends had started him off in the wrong direction, bnt a glimpse of the brightly-shining Red Triangle had brought him back to the *' good old Y.M.CA,'' and " mighty glad he was to be there." Tommy's case is c , typical of thousands of soldiers from C "all parts of the Empire who daily and nightly encounter the allurements and snares of cosmopolitan London. And here the Y.M.CA. is doing as fine a work as in the actual fighting zone. Soldiers are, after all, very human; they are safest when they are busy, and during times of relaxation are apt to drift with the tide. • —The Sign of the Triangle— Since the war began the Red Triangle has become the most familiar, of safety signs along the streams of life that ceaselessly flow through this vast, illusive, magnetic London, We have seen sufficient during a fortnight's leave to make us realise why a distinguished statesman spoke of the Y.IVf.C.A, as "one of the seven wonders of the war." That was many months ago, and the work is daily growing to bigger dimensions. Every centre of population throughout the Metropolis has its V.M.C.A Institute, with attractive exterior and homelike touches inside; near the big railway stations and other places of congested traffic are Bed Triangle Bureaux—rest places by the vrayside —where soldiers may read or write or learn how to find their way about London; and places o± interest are , made accessible daily to large parties of soldiers under the guidance of ladies and elderly gentleman, who are "doing their bit" as voluntary ; V.M.C.A workers. I —New Zealanders First— v '; The commissioners, who came to England and France on behalf of the ■ New Zealand V.M.C.A have acted on the principle of providing the best 7 for those who are furthest from home. They have succeeded in maxing the i Shakespeare Hut—headquarters for the New Zealand work—the most attractive V.M.C.A soldiers' institute in all Ed gland- At least, that is our opinion, and we have seen many. / We came to London through country that was aglow with the touch of ; early spring—fields that a fortnight earlier had been under snow Were ankle-deep in grass, the matchless 'v English trees weie donning their summer leafage, the winding lanes were made picturesque by budding hedges and primroses by the million, V and the fruit trees blossomed massively in token of a bountiful yield. Truly .a country worth fighting for. —How the R9d Tringle Helps— From Waterloo Station we were piloted by a V.M.C.A officer through the mystories of the wonderful of the wonderful tube system cf underground railways to that busy part of London, Tottenham-Court Road, and thence by a very short route to the Shakespeare Hut. That week-end ' there w«re 1000 of bur men on leave in London, and fully one-third were accommodated at the ShaKespeare Hut. The New Zealanders are very proud of their London headquarters. The men marched en masse from the station, formed a queue past the booking office, and having secured their beds, were given advice , as to the best way of spending their leave. Some went round in small groups with honorary guides, others went on the V.M.C.A omnibus tour (seeing the principal sights of London at a cost of 4s), and others went out m search of family fritnds Meanwhile the Hut continued to be the lively rendezvous of soldiers from all parts of the Empire and of members or all branches of the service. —The " Best Hut in London "— The Shakespeare Hut is adjacent to the British Museum, and stands on a spacious corner allotment valued at not less than £70,000. It ß use has been granted by the Shakespeare # i? Society for the term of the war and a specified period after. The main entrance leads into a spacious lounae ■•* and an equally extensive cafe, separated only by a dividing lattice. Off hese radiate a quiet room with writ, ing accommodation for about 100 sized tables; a concert hall to spa* ab(t f 0 ; ffi and dOl-^ies contain ing beds sufficient for 400 men. Add • v to these hot and cold baths, cloakroom, hairdressmg saloon, and other convenient appointments, aYy OU J will reahsh something of ihe bigness and completeness of the place &