THE ANSWER.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1820, 5 August 1913, Page 6

THE ANSWER.

AND THE BLOOD IN THE VEINS. A few interesting remarks on military training were made by the Minister for Defence (the Hon. James Allen) at the Veterans' dinner last night. The Minister said that, after some of the speeches, he wondered if - he was a member of a peace .-.society.. "'I wonder/' he continued, still;referring.to the "peace" people, "it'' they-think they, have any right to live in New" Zealand to-day. I would like to know what answer they would give!. You (the Veterans) undertook marches . / : That was discipline. Are you any the worse from it? Are you more manly I to-<lay for helping to win this oountry ? il know what answer you will give! What of the Territorials? They are your sons. .They have your blood in their veins, ii . . Wo hear it said that the British is ,no rood. (Voices: "Kot!") )You were 'onoe British soldiers! And I Say that the British soldiers we have coming out here are splendid men. I wish }to thank them for the hard work they have done. I feel that we have not done enough for, them, but this burden of preparing for defence is a heavy one, and we cannot materially help as we would wish to; but we. value the sacrifice, they have imade in coining here to help'us, and I (hope that when they Teturn to England they will do so with the knowledge that Hhey have done something, not only, for kus, but for the. Empire, too." (Applause.)