Arizona republican., 1916-03-04
MESSAGE FR0N
 SOUTHERN SEAS
Letter From Walter l.. Hill in Tahiti, Describing the Effect of the World War in that Remote Cor her

PAPEET, Tahiti, Jan. 20-There was a sound of revelry by night" and Paneete the gay capital of Tahiti is celebrating the departure of the first lnstallment of her contribution to the great war which at last has touched the far off island of the South Seas
 France out of her dire need is call ing for help and her child Tahiti has heard the cry and is answering as best she can. Tomorrow 150 are going, all the ship can acOmmodate- more go on next months steamer and several hundred later A ship Is now cruising among the other islands gathering up the recruits. Their preliminary training is to take place at New Caledonia, an island off the Australian coast.
 Great numbers have come in from the country districts and Papeete population is doubled. the little mar row streets are crowded with people walking to and fro. in saloons glasses clink as over and over again the last drink is taken. Cafes ring with music and singing and the sweet Tahitian love songs mingle with the stirring notes of the Mar seilies.
 Luvina's Hotel was the center of saycty, dancing in the parlors, eat ing, drinking, singing and shouting ill the cafe until far into the morning and many of the kaiser's followers were that night killed in song and story.
 Upon entering the cafe each guest that evening was decorated by lovely Tahitian belles with tiare. Tahitis beautiful and fragrant, white waxen like flowers.
 Seven young natives came in and sat at one Of the tables. They were going away tomorrow, and alas per | haps Tahiti will never see them again Wi eaths of tiare had been prepared and immediately the incipient war riors were crowned ana if perchance for a deed of bravery on some bat tlefield in far away France. a sword shall be laid upon their shoulder and the high honor come of being made a "chevalier of the Legion of Honor Yet I doubt not that in all their fu | ture liIes. the richest possessions and sweetest memorials will ever he as sociated with the floral garlands wo- | ven by the loving hands of these l liquid eyed Tahitian lovers.
 A multitude of people crowded the | street along the cafe and among them scores of young ladies who seemed to gaze at the young men in mute | kind of hero worship.
 On the following morning the Mai
 tai was to leave. a civic holiday had been proclaimed and all the stores ! closed Thousands of people crowded ] the dock, hundreds of flags flew from the ships rigging. the gangWay was | an Appian road of Wreaths and flow CTS On each side of it scores oi 1 Tahitian girls had stationed them :elves and as their lovers marched
 I'D that gangway they heard sweet | voices singing to them the love song | they had so often sang together un- | der the mango trees of dear old Ia 1 hiti old men and women, young
 men and maidens, all Americans l French, Tohitian. wept in sympathy | The Maitai moved away. Frances i tricolor was hauled down. the Unior
 Jack was run up but to the last fan
 out at sea could be seen the darin2
 climbers high up in the ships rig
 ging and masts waving a last fare well No Tahiti, the most beautiful oi
 all these Islands of the best"
 WALTER L. HILL.