THE 1914-15 STAR.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3412, 17 February 1920, Page 2

TH E 1914-15 STAR.

* DISTRIBUTION COMENCBD. | “DIGGERS” ADVERSE TO • PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS. i The 1914-1915 star to which disj tinction some 25,000 New Zealanders : are entitled, is now being issued. A i special staff is engaged at the Buckle I Street aßrracks in stamping the medj a Is, which were received recently | from England, and dispatching them 1 to those who have established their j claim to the distinction. Those ent'tlj cd the medal are given the option of ' having the medal presented officially ' on parade or of securing it without 1 ceremony by registered post. Some i “8,000 medals have been received : tom the Imperial authorities for dis- ! ribution. The work of stamping the I back of the medal with the regimental I number and name of each recipient *s necessarily tedious, and therefore j not rapid, and it will be some weeks ! before the distribution will be comj pletely effected. Something over 200 medals are being completed per day by the small but efficient staff engaged in the work of stamping and preparing for postage. They are being attended to in alphabetical order, aad yesterday afternoon the staff was engaged upon the medals for issue to men whose names commence with the letter C.

The medal is not of very striking design. a fact which has been he-.11-d to elicit from sioldiers and others oxpressions of d-isapproval and ‘limppointment. The star is a folll~-{mint-ed one, only three of which are \’iSible. and is faced by (:roSSed'ba3'oll°.‘rS above which appears :1 crown, with the Royal cipher below. The name and dates are inscribed in the centre. The Department is issuing. togethvn with the medal, s‘everal inches of red, white and blue moire ribbon which accompanies the star.

The large majoritfiv of fhe men ap-pe-:~.r ‘to prefer to ‘have the medal fornmlly sent to them ‘by’ pfist instead of having ii: presented. So far only about 1 per cent. Ilave asked for cia] pvesenfation.