Anchored at a British port are some of the greatest ships of the British Merchant Navy, arrived safely at the end of a voyage full of peril, escorted strongly by the Royal Navy, and carrying the most precious cargo Britain could have in these days of evil moment. Great parts of the Australian and New Zealand forces are here. In their thousands they came ashore. And let this be said at once: these are not the men who went from Australia and New Zealand to the Middle East. They are a new contingent, armed and to all intent most fully trained, and they have come directly here by Capetown and Freetown.
Everyone, on every ship we went on board, paid tribute to the vigilance of their escorts and to the builders of the ships in which they themselves came. High Army officers, representatives of the Home and Dominion Governments and of the newspapers were privileged to meet these men and to recognise their determination, their courage, and the sincerity of conviction which have brought them across the world to fight an evil thing.
╥WHERE╒S THE WAR?╙
╥Where╒s this war?╙ were the first words I heard from an Australian on a ship whose sombre grey threw into bold relief in memory of the gay paint and bunting she bore at her launch; and ╥Is there a war on here?╙ asked a New Zealander, as we went alongside a ship which carried troops from another continent in the last war. But, rhetorical questions apart, these soldiers were as thirsty for news as they were hungry for green vegetables, and newspapermen put aside their ordinary job and answered rather than asked.
On each transport the assurance that their people at home were being informed of their safe arrival brought more cheers than a king╒s message or a welcome from the Secretary of State for War. The private who anticipated Mr. Geoffrey Shakespeare by half a minute and said, ╥I wonder if they have cabled home; that is the main thing,╙ spoke the thoughts of thousands.
