THE BATTLE OF UXBRIDGE

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 28 July 1921, Page 3

THE BATTLE OF UXBRIDGE

LONDON, 12th June,

Mr. W. F. Massey left Oxford by motor-car at midnight, accompanied by Mr. F. D. Thompson (secretary), Mr. H. T. B. \ Drew (assistant-secretary), and Colonel Grigg . . . When approaching Uxbridge, at 2 o'clock', they were ; suddenly confronted by an obstruction extending across the toad, surmounted by red lights. . . . Half-a-dozen policemen appeared. and, many others remained in the' background. They cross-questioned Mr.! Drew, who was seated beside • the driver, examined the driver's papers, and inspected the car front and back, and noted the registered number. Mr Thompson explained that the party inside the car included the Prime , Minister of New Zealand. After ten minutes'/ delay the police removed the obstruction, and the car proceeded to Loncjon.' Mr. Massey was interested, but not disturbed, by the incident. Australian-New Zealand Cable Association.

"The boy stood on the burning deck Whence all but he had fled." Had he been on'the Uxbridge road Where the lights were flaring red, He must have turned his little tail, Or lost his little head.

"Speak, father, once again," he cried, -"If I may yet be gone." Not for the dearest father's leave Would he have lingered on, Had he been Qn the Uxbridge road Where the fearsome red lights f shone. -

New Zealand's leading statesman Of much sterner stuff is made; He calmly faced the dangers Where the blood-red dead-lights played; . . At dead of night he came, he saw, He conquered undismayed..

Red beacons on a barrier black Delay the Premier's car; Armed to the teeth, policemen stand Its further way to bar, While through the gloom fierce bulls-eyes fling Their challenge from afar.

From stem to- stern the car they

scan, Those ruthless men in blue; They con the chauffeur's papers, and They question Mr. Drew. "Shall we wipe the whole lot out?" 11 said they, "Or shall we let them through?"

"Ready! present!" their leader cried, Obedient to command A murderous baton flashed in air In each policeman's hand; A thousand rifles took their aim A Massey's gallant'band.

Thompson's cool nerve availed to. check The threatened stream of lead. "Forbear," he said; "we have inside The Premier'of N.Z.!" Amazed, abashed, the men in blue ■ All turned a guilty red.

A thousand helmets rose in air; A thousand rifles fell; A thousand cheering throats sent up

A rousing- British yell. Dashing the barrier down, they said, "Go on, for all is well."

On sped the car, and in due course To London safely came; And there the news of its escape Set the whole town aflame. England shed tears of joy and pride, New Zealand did the same.

0 crimson lights of Uxbridge! O deeds of derrinpr-do! 0 men of Crecy, Agincourt, Trafalgar, Waterloo! Men of the Marne, the Aisne, the Somme, And gallant Anzaci, to*!

Heroes of every great exploit From China to Peru, From Greenland's icy mountains, To the plains of Timbuctoo! Scorn not to share your laurels With the dauntless happy few — Massey, P.C., Grigg, D.5.6., Frank Thompson, Herbert DrewWho bravely broke that black barrage

And beat the boys in blue. AJAX

20th June, 1921

A girl can lead a man io the conservatory, but she can't make him

propose,

Philosophy, says Brand Whitlock, has no faith in the efficacy of force in making people good. It teaches that people get better and improve, not by the destructive processes of hatred and wrath, but by the constructive method of love and reason. It teaches that goodness comes from within, not from wfthout, that you cannot beat goodness into people, or give them a prescription for it, to be taken in doses, like medicine, but that' they must generate it from their own hearts.