NEW ZEALANDER ATTACKED.

Taihape Daily Times, 23 June 1919, Page 5

NEW ZEALANDER ATTACKED.

FEELING AT HORNCHUR-CH.‘ MODIFIED CORDIALITY. LONDON, April 25. There is evidence about. more than one of our camps that the feeling of cordiality which was shown towards our troops throughout the war is being modified since the al'lnistico_ This is presumably the mutual revulsion which was clearly noted after the Boer War. The only pl‘ilCC where it has received open expression is at Hornchurch, in Essex, a village which practically lived upon the New Zealand E.\"pe(lition:u'y Force for more than three years past, «and has shown the very greatest hostility t.o the troops. A few days ago a young man from Chadweljl Heath was’ [prosecuted -‘at. ROlllfol‘d for assaulting a New Zealand soldier suffering from shell-shock. The accused had himself been 21 prisoner of war. Giving evidence at the prosecution, Major J. M. Rose, N_Z.S.C., said he was responsible for discipline at the convaleseeiit camp at HOl-nchurcli, where there had been as many as 2000 New Zeal‘a'ndVsoldicrs He could not be responsible for what might happen if the present situation was not firmly handled. New Zealanders could be left to look after themselves _,i_f they ran. into trouble, but men <\\»'llo.\\jould harm no: one, as; well as th,eir~ wives and .SW.(‘,C‘tll_C;Ll‘fS,_lJllv(-i beenlheld up. in the _dark and ass~aulted.. ‘The -assailants tlieii bolted. The men had heldia ineeting to eons_ider the position, and ifhe had not interfered -he was afraid tlzere, would have been a riot in Romford, and many innocent. people might. have sufi"cred. Superintendent Hewlett said the police lived passed through a. period of great anxiety, and he hoped the Bench would deal firmly with the situation. The accused was sentenced to the inaximum penlzilty of two months’ imprisonnient with hard labour.