He thrice-blessed the people. Italian troops presented arms.
The new Pope (Achille Ratti) was born at Milan in 1857. He was ordained priest in 1879. He had a distinguished career as an educationist and as an ecclesiastic, and he possesses great culture. He served successively as prefect of the famous Ambrosian Library in Milan and pro-prefect of the Vatican Library. He won the special confidence of Benedict, who sent him to Poland in April, 1918, as apostolic visitor, becoming apostolic nuncio.
When Poland became a republic he rendered humane service in securing the release of prisoners from Russia. The new Pope is regarded as a sportsman. He gained fame as an alpinist, and is a member of the Italian Alpine Club.
Children visit warship
HMNZS Chatham presented a very animated scene yesterday when the vessel was crowded with school children who are members of the Navy League. The children were divided into groups of 12 and were escorted over the vessel, the officers and sailors explaining the mechanism of the guns etc. A number of the crew who are New Zealand recruits gave exhibits of gun drill for the benefit of the children.
About 600 children from eight of the primary schools in and about Dunedin were on board during the day.
A number of the general public also visited the cruiser and all together about 1000 people inspected the ship yesterday. During the morning there was a parade of about 150 seamen and stokers, under the command of Lieutenant O’Donnell, through the central portion of Princes Street. The men, who carried full marching equipment, marched with a fine swing and created a most favourable impression.
French-made poppies for Anzac Day
Samples of the neat little red poppies made in the devastated regions of Northern France were exhibited at the meeting of the executive of the Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ Association last evening.
Circulars from the headquarters of the association stated that 396,000 of the small artificial poppies and 4000 of the large ones have been received, and are to be sold on Monday April 24, so that they may be worn as a memorial flower on Anzac Day, the day of remembrance of New Zealand’s dead. The large poppies are to be used in wreaths. The small ones are to be sold at 1 shilling each and the large at 2s. About a quarter of the net proceeds will be remitted to Paris to be used in helping the widows and children of Northern France, and the remainder is to be retained by the Returned Soldiers’ Association for a purpose that has yet to be determined. Some 65,600 poppies have been allotted to Otago and Southland. Members expressed the opinion that the scheme would be more widely supported if a portion of the proceeds was to go to the local association.
— ODT, 8.2.1922.
