THE MAORIS AT MALTA.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3997, 2 August 1915, Page 6

THE MAORIS AT MALTA.

AN ENGLISHMAN’S APPRECIATION. “THAT'S - LOYALTY, INDEED ! ” (Press Association Telegram.) WELLINGTON, Aug. J. An English paper, the “Rothernrn Advertiser” of 6th June, contains a letter from Private AY. Ridgway, of the London Regiment at Malta (an ex-schoolmaster), in which some references are made to the Maoris*. “The boys at the school,” he writes “will be very much interested to know that I have seen some real live* Maoris. On Wednesday we operated in conjunction with three other battalions, one of which was the Maori Battalion. We marched to a place in Malta six or seven miles away and, when we arrived there, the Maoris were already there and were having tea. On our approach, they stopped their meal and stood at attention until we were in our places ready for tea. They looked a lino lot of fellows, and. I felt glad they were on our side and not against us, and I must confess to an added sense of security after having seen them. “On the average, I think we are slightly taller than they, but they have-more brawn and sinew than we. As wo marched past, one of our fellows said: ‘They will think wo are a puny lot,’ and I agreed.' They are remarkably well-made and very athletic. They skip over the rocks very lightly. We saw one man do a long jump with his full pack on. ' Their skins are very dark and their hair is black and curly, but tliev have all the “culture” of the Englishman. * They speak English quite as well as Vo do, for most of them have a college education and are quite wealthy. A New Zealander /not a Maori) with whom I.spoke told mo that when he reached Egypt lie had £4O in his possession and had . £lO army pay due to inm. Ho said that many of the Maoris had £IOO and some even £l5O with them.

“Another Maori said that his greatest ambition was to bo led into battle by an English officer. What an answer to tho Gorman lie that our colonies are but loosely-held and that the Empire would go to pieces like a pack of cards! They will do anything for an Englishman, and tho men of the D Company said that during their stay the Maoris’ greatest delight was to take them to the canteen and lavish their money on them. “Lord Methuen reviewed them again on Thursday morning, and he wanted to know which of them wished to do garrison duty and who wished to go to tho front. He commanded all who wanted to do garrison duty to ‘slope arms’ yml not one in the whole company ‘sloped arms.’ That’s loyalty indeed I”