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Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 July 1941, Page 6

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LARGE PARTY OF WOUNDED SOLDIERS MAORIS & PAKEHAS BOTH PRAISED. ACTING-PREMIER’S ASSURANCE.. I (By Telegraph—Press Association.) ; WELLINGTON, This Day. | A party of several hundred ■.wounded men recently arrived was officially welcomed in Wellington today by Ministers and chewing members of the public. The party included both Maoris and pakehas. many of whom bore evidence of their strenuous and heroic fighting. The main topic of conversation among the men was, perhaps, the splendid work of the Maori soldiers, who were praised to the skies by pa-kc-ha comrades as the best soldiers in the whole world. The Maoris in turn paid tribute to the pakehas, declaring that the whole New Zealand army was splendid in battle and retreat. The Acting-Premier (Mr Nash), in a message read to the troops by the Defence Minister (Mr Jones), said New Zealand was proud of her troops. The work they had wrought was beyond praise. "Now that you are back,” said Mr Nash, "our simple and straightforward duly is to see that our feelings of pride in you are translated into practical action.”