GENERAL HAMILTON'S VISIT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 1, 20 May 1914, Page 8

GENERAL HAMILTON'S VISIT

AT NEW PLYMOUTH TO-DAH. General Sir lan Hamilton, liispuaui General of Oversea Forces, wiii arrive in -\ew lilynmubh to-day by special train at 1-2.25. His party will include the Hon. J'as. Allen (Minister of Defence), Brig. .".dier-Geueral Ellison, General Gwliey (commander of the Now Zealand Forces), M-ijor Ashmoro (staff officer to General sir lan Hanvilton), Colonel Heard (director of military training), Colonel Chaytor (officer commanding Wellington military district), Major Tomperley (staff officer to Colonel Ghaytor), and Liuuts. Kiclinaond and Rhodes (staff officers to General Godley), ' Upon arrival, the Inspector-General and ihw party will bo met by the civic reception committee, and taken to the White Hart Hotel for luncheon at 1.15. At 2.15 the party will leave tor the racecourse, and the review will commence punctually nt 2.30. Local schools arc to observe -a half holiday, whilst tradespeople are asked to close their premises between 2 and 4 4 p.m. It is anticipated that there will 'be over 900 boys on parade from all parts of Taranaki. Some «f tlio outside lads will arrive by the ordinary 10.45 train in the morning, and otiliors will arrire by a special train a little later. The whole contingent will be met by local cadets, and headed by tho 11th Regiment Band, will march through, the town to the racecourse. Here tho boys will rehearse the movements for the afternoon, and will afterwards have luncheon, Punctually at 2.30, the Cadets will bo drawn up in line, and will receive the rn-ipecitoif-Ge.neral with the general salute They will then be inspected, the hand playing selections in tthe meantime. At the conclusion- of the inspection, and While the Cadets are manoeuvring to get up into position 'for the march past, Sir Tan Hamilton will inspect the Taranaki Veterans' Association, drawn up in a special enclosure (C). The Cadets will march pa£t in, columns of companies Cards showing the order of mardiing ol the companies, and the distinctive 00l on worn by each company in their hats can be purchased on the parade grov.:u for one penny each. The Cadets, having marched past ii columns, will reform in line facing thi .Inspector-General, and will advance h ' review order with tho land playing They will halt a fy\y paces away f.ron (the saluting base, and give the genera I sa'iite. After this. Sir lan HaimiKoi will present to tihe best shot in eaci

company a silver cnip and a medal. These tuns and medals have been presented by ladies 'in Taranaki, the scheme hiving been initiated liy Mrs Codley.. The Inspector-General will then inspect the cadets, and this will conclude .the review. The. cadets will leave by special train at 5.20. The Inspector-General' and his stall' wfil then proceed by motor-cars to the Gilbert street entrance of Pukekuri Park, and will be *hown through the ginfems by the chairman of hlie bxxwl, t-i the Liardefc street entrance, where they will be met by the ears at about, i p.m. The General and his stuff will next be taken by motor ear to Moturon, and wi,M be shown over the refinery by Mr C. Carter, chairman loif the local Ad-vis-.ry Board, an<l the manage]-, Mr G. S. '.Millar. The. next point to be visited will Am St. 6 Ma,r.y'j> Oliureh, where the 'hatchments are to .be viewed, and the visitors are to be eoniliv.ted around the church by the vicar (Rev. A. H. Colvile). After viewing the church, the party will return to the White Hart Hotel, where at T o'clock they will be entertained at a dinner by the members of the Tnranaki Club. At the conclusion of dinner, a visit will be paid by Sir Tan Hiiinilton and his riLiiT to the Foresters' Hall, where tho Taranaki Veterans' Association are 'holding a smoke concert. After this, the visitors will return to their hotelsi. The pa.rty leaves New Plymouth fjr Wellington by mail train, tomorrow. WITH THE VETERANS AT WANGAXUI. iWangan.ui, Last Night. General Sir lan Hamilton arrived in Wanganui this afternoon, and inspected six hundred Cadets, who: tooto part in a sham fight. The General also inspected a good muster of 'men who -had seen service in South Africa, and a number of veterans of the India, Crimea,, and New Zealand wars. One nrf the oldesl veterans, who saw a great de-.il of service, is bed-ridden, nnd General Hamilton, hearing of this, called on the old gentleman, with whom he chatted for somo time. In the evening, the General was entertained at dinner by the .Mayor and citizens,, and at a snur/ke concert by the Soutli African service meu. . I

A GREAT KOTJMER. WARM WORK IX {SOUTH AFRICA. Oenera.l Sir Inn Hamilton, who is to visit New Plymouth to-day, was the central figure on Waggon Hill and at Caesar's camp on the fateful day when the Boers almost suceeeded in entering Ladyanitli. Sir Fan was in charge, of that portion of the defences, and a dreary, weary time it must leave been for him and tho forces under his command. Waggon 3 Ji: 1 ami Caesar's Camp are respectively flw western and Mia eastern halves of -.» !>ig.h, hare, hut roclcstrewn flat hill wliieli stands almost due south of the town. It is known to the Dutch as the I'latlia.mf. On the broad summit Sir Inn was in command. Below to the north ami nor.tli-eii.it are tfie wide (tats through which the Klip river flows, and beyond the (tats, rising' steeply, is Bulwanna, upon which was placed one of the famous t'reusot guns, on- "Long Toms." When the "Cong Tom" hud flung a few erratic shells iiV.o the town, the performance invariably concluded' with Sir lan having one or two sent among his troops. On the. eventful as-

■nvljited with our visitor's name, (I"; Boers before daybreak attacked the hi>' at threo different points. The Manc'f'isters at Caesar's Camp were, driven I'm ok, the Boers taking their place in lh-i British trenches. But Sir lan rallied his men at every point, and, with (lie aid of the 15-pounder.s of the Field Artillery from below, swept the 'hill clear of the enemy. The conflict, however, was continued, attack after attack by the Boers being foiled. Lord Ava, Sir ' lair's' galloper, was shot and' killed early ' in the day. All the morning the helios had been at work communicating with • Sir Redvcrs Bullor at Colenso. Then - ensued a storm of rain and the helios f could no longer be used and General Sir . George White's was cut off abruptly ) and made to end with the words, ''hardpressed" which created consternation a,t j!Home. It .was five o'clock in the afterB noon when the Devons made their fame! ous bayonet charge and drove the Boers ; pell mell for their lives from Waggon ' a Hill. The fighting lasted for fully fourteen hours, a good day's work for even a British General. . | Sir lan was not in supreme command of a given position on what came to be 0 called- "Black Monday." That was at * tho engagement of Lombard's Kop from which the British had to retire, and e which immediately preceded the siege 3 of Ladysmith. His brigade that day s comprised the Gordon Highlanders, the n Devonshire Regiment, the Manchester e Regiment, and the Fourth Battalion of e the Rifle Brigade, a splendid force of il which he was, and remains, justly proud, t At Lombard's Kop it was "a far-flung o battle line, extending ass it did over an ; . arc of some six or seven miles. Owing i to the rugged country it was impossible ! to bring the engagement to a definite l 0 conclusion. It was while the British [(! were retiring upon Ladysmith that the j_ 4.7 guns from H.M.S. Powerful made ' their dramatic appearance upon the c scene. The first shell fired from one oi " the two big British guns struck and ;* been blnizng away merrily all the mornir. ing. - Sir lan is a breezy, kindly individual, and ifond of a joke. He rathei i adroitly turned the tables upon the lnt( ill W. T. Stead, of the "Review of Re '«. views," a few years ago. Mt SteauV hai of sent out circulars to various prominent il- people enquiring how many hours' slee] ;s, nightly; also, if they were troubled witl id insomnia,, "and, if so, what did they re commend as a preventive? Sir lan re in ceived a circular and sent a brief bu he courteous reply. To the question j n "What is the best preventive, -of in ,„_ somnia?" he replied: "Read the 'Keviei im ' of Reviews.'" Mr Stead was hugely dc a j lighted. He and Sir lan were ol rm friends and the journalist thorough! , enjoyed the soldier's joke. \