“THE LITTLE DIGGER”

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20988, 15 December 1939, Page 5

“THE LITTLE DIGGER”

MR W. HUGHES IN SYDNEY POPULAR WITH THE SOLDIERS “Well, boys, here we are, back again for another—war!” With these words, in which effective use was made of an expressive soldierly adjective, Mr W. M. Hughes, Australia’s famous Prime Minister during the war of 1914-18, greeted the young men of the new Australian Army while on tour of military training camps in New South Wales. “The Little Digger,” as he is affectionately known to Australian exservicemen, is still a daring and spectacular force in Australian politics, despite his deafness and his 75 years. He is no longer Prime Minister, but as Attorney-General in the Federal Cabinet he can always be relied upon for a rousing speech. When Mr Hughes, in a pepper-and-salt suit and a purple bow-tie. stepped from his car, and the guard presented arms, every man’s face wreathed in smiles. He commandeered one of their hats, the famous Australian Digger hat with turned-UD brim, and put it on his head. He stood back and looked at them. “Now bring on your bombers, Hitler!” he said. “You don’t look a bit different from when I saw you at Poperinghe,” said a veteran sergeant of the last war. “I feel as good as I look," retorted Mr Hughes.