SUMNER RED CROSS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16153, 6 March 1918, Page 2

SUMNER RED CROSS.

LECTURE BY LIEUT.-COLONEL SLEEMAN. On Monday afternoon the Directot of ?ililitary Training, Lieut.-Colonel G. L. Sleeman, 1.G.5., addressed the ReJ Cross workers of Sumner concerning the value of the Red Cross. to the fighting troops. In the course of his address Colonel Sleeman, after congratulating the Canterbury workers of tho Red Cross on their admirable record of work, explained the various causes that had contributed to lengthen the war. The years 1914', 1915, and 1916 offered the Allies few practical hopes of achieving victory. Yet these were years which were, for the majority of people, filled witii bitterly shattered hopes. The year 1917, with its promises of great things, would be remembered for a'l timo as the year of the gigantic Russian failure. At the present time there was no living man capable of predicting the end of the war. A great change had taken place, however; from wars between armies, it had. now become a struggle between pjo- i pie.;! The German, foiled in his attempt for world dominion, was now struggling to avert the well-deserved punishment for the hideous wrongs he had perpetrated during the past three years. Defence in modern, war was far easier than attack, and Germany had a well-disciplined and servile people of Tuetonic stubbornness. Therefore, in addition to defeating her armies in the field, the Allies had other duties to perform, and those were to out-rival 'the.Teuton in rational self-sacrificc, economy, and thrift. It was a period when every man or woman in tho Empire should lie serving his country either at, or bohind, the front. By this means oniv could a peace with victory be obtained. Those who were not concentrating their energies on the winning of the war wore deliberately helping either to prolong its agony, or to lose it. There could be no question about that. The Allies were not fighting for aggressive reasons, or for revenge: but because Germany herself made no secret that, tho first stage of world-conquest had been attained, and peace was desirable in order to prepare for the next outrage on tho civilised world. If<GcrI many made little secret of this, bow I coulcl any person imagine, that an ini conclusive peace would be better than j continuing a terrible . struggle ? • First and foremost of those civilians who helped came tho Red Cross and St. John Ambulance workers and simiiar organisations. These direct I;''1;'' contributed to the safety and comfort of those who were fighting at the front. To the soldier these organisations often brought the only ray of sunshine in the long, dark days of patient suffering. To the fit men they brought comfort, and to the sick ease from pain and gave promise of hope. No nobler work existed than that' connected with the treatment of those galbnt souls w.ho so willingly suffered in order that civilisation might live. Yet to all, no matter 1 how earnest and lovnl, there arrived periods when staieness, or sense of infinitesimal effort, or even despair, those enemies to ail true work, produced a slackening of effort, reinforced immediately by n host of excuses. Every soldier wns familiar with "war rumours" of uncertain origin, utterly false, and often mischievous, and so regarded. Such rumours hdfi undoubtedly resulted on occasions in a slackening of effort in all branches of patriotic work, perhaps tho effect intended by those responsible for their origin. In conclusion, Coionel Sleeman stated that he was confident that- all present were determined not to filter tain thought of peace until its terms were propoi tionatc to the sacrifices of those, who had died for us. Even the ablest eritics declared that the war may yet continue some time, therefore all must be prepared to put forward every effort to win the svar, and cach individual should strengthen his or her resolutions by the knolHedge that the war had now become a• oolitest between peoples and not merely between armies. / The German, Admiral Scheer in 1917 spoke as follows: "Thank God we are not so spoiled as the Briton. "What he has yet to learn we know already. He will not bear privations as long as the Germans. Nation against nation. privations against privations! Hunger against hunger!'' It remained for us to prove that Admiral Scheer was wrong. An idle man or woman, a wasted shilling on needless luxuries of any kind, «ver? all assisting the enemy to some extent and helping to prolong the war: a careful, resolute, and determined enemy who required every ounce we had in us to defeat! The Canterbury Rod Cross had sot an example seconit to none in the Empire, and its members had recognised their duty throughout the war. If all the members <.f the British Empire realised that similar effort wouiii convert a long war into a shorter war ho felt assured that ' much would be done, particularly if j the>- realised that idleness, luxuries, and general apathy resulted in direct loss of "life, of national strength, and, in addition, prolonged the ghastly struggle. Right against might could only conquer if right bccame might bv the valour, endurauce, and self-sacri-fice of its supporters. In conclusion. Colonel Sleeman expressed his ar-sui-ance that the members of the Canterbury lied Cross would relax no effort I until a victorious peace had been atI tained.