Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1929-11-15


north island near Auckland. but were
allowed visitors.
One day. Maori chieftain's wife
from the tribe of the Waikatos, a peO-
pie who made a name for themselves
as warriors against the English in
their heroic struggle for freedom in
166O-61, called with her retinue. This
lady. whose name was Kaihau, handed
me letter. II was written in Maori.
and translated read as follows:
II come to you, o illustrlous chief
tain. and pass on to you for the future
preservation of an old tradition the
mat of the great chieftain Wai-Tete."
AS she handed me the letter, she
brought forth from under her dress a
mat that she had hidden there while
passing the prison guard.
My surprise was great, and nudged
Kircheiss. but he was as mystified as
L Fortunately, there was a German
lady present who had been living in
New Zealand for some time. She I'M
derstood the customs of the handsome
aborigines who once ruled in New
Zealand, and explained to me that
was about to receive the highest honor
that the Maoris can bestow upon
anyone.
The chieftain's wife began to dance
around me with great rapidity and
wild abandon. The name of this
dance was the Haka-Haka, or some
think like that, and at the conclusion
of it she presented me with a green
stone found only In New Zealand.
Again she spoke.
20 great warrior from across the
seas, we greet you as chieftain OF
the Waikatos, and among my people
you shall be known henceforth as AL
Tete,' meaning Holy Water We be-
lieve that the spirit of our Maori hero
Athlete has returned to US In you"
l accepted the stone and pressed
the Maori woman's hand to express
my gratitude. AS she was about to
take her departure, she requested that
| hide the mat and stone and carry
them to Germany with me, which l
did. But before concealing them, l
had my picture taken wearing nothing
but the garb of Maori chieftain, this
simple mat. Except for the absence
of full war paint and the usual tat
tooing, my friends said made per-
feet aborigine. Perhaps SO. Even In
Germany there are those who look
upon me as more of an aborigine than
a civilized being.
When the day on which we were to
sail for home drew near, the president
| of the Soldiers Mothers league WIS.,
tied me and wished me pleasant trip
| on behalf of the mothers of 10000 sol
diers. She said she came because New
Zealands sons who had been war pris-
oners in Germany had returned home
in good health to their mothers. There
fore, she considered 1t her duty to pray
| God that l, too, might soon be re-
stored to my mothers arms.
So at last we sailed away from New
Zealand, "the land down under"
| where we had had the last Of our ad-
ventures, enjoyed few hardships,
spent many weary and delightful hours,
and met many hospitable and kindly
people. On the whole, have happy
memories of the Antipodes.
In July of 1919, stepped on Ger
man soil again and hurried home, just
In time to pass few more weeks with
my father. who died on September 3.
The old warrior held steadfast to his
faith in the Fatherland to the last.
But to his dying hour he was filled
with regret because his government
would not let him take an active part
in the Great war.
On January 3. 1920, all my men re-
turned-that is, all save one. Their
clothes were faded from the tropical
sun and corroded by the sea water, but
they returned without stain upon
either their honor or their loyalty.
The only gap in our ranks after
those long adventures was the excel.
lent Doctor Pietsch, our ship surgeon.
The news of GerInany's collapse
reached the remote part Of Chile where
he was living. When he heard It, he
fell dead of heart failure.
Returned to my beloved Fatherland,
| found so many things changed and
different from what had hoped. In
this connection. there Is one memory
always before me. It Is of my mother.
| was sitting at her sick bed when
even the doctors had given up hope.
Only then did realize how much I
loved her, but also realized with
sorrow and regret how much more I
should have done for her. Exactly
the same feeling have today when I
find my country lying low. Never have
loved my homeland so much as now.
THE END.1