THE EMPIRE'S CALL

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2261, 22 September 1914, Page 6

THE EMPIRE'S CALL

A GREAT DUTY HON. JAMES ALLEN'S ADDRESS TO THE TROOPS

"It has been my duty and my very great -pleasure to see practically all the troops that are going away to the front, and I wish to say to you and to the public of New Zealand, as Minister of Defence, that I am highly gratified with all that I have seen-," declared tho. Minister of Defence (the Hon. J. Allen) after inspecting the Auckland camp on Saturday. "I am proud to know that such a splendid force of officers, noncommissioned officers and men are going away to represent this country at the Empire's call. You are going to do a great duty for the Empire and for your country. I hope you will all read today's papers and see what British statesmen have to say about the war. This is a righteous and a holy ' war on our part, and we look to you, who are going to assist the Mother Country, and 1o assist a' weaker nationweak in numbers, but strong in heroic character—that has borne the brunt of tlie campaign so strongly and so' wellto do your duty. You must feel that you are going to do a righteous and proper duty, and there are many in 'New Zealand who would like to be with you, but cannot. I should like to he with you myself. A Duty at Home. "Thoso who remain behind give you this assurance: We will look after this fair country while you are away. My message to those who remain behind is this: We have a duty as well as those who are going away. Our duty is to carry on the industries of this country and keep the place smiling and happy, so that those who go away can como back to happy homes when the war is over. Ihope that every New Zealandor who remains behind will.do his utmost in this direction. "We ai'fl looking to you to uphold the name of New.Zealand and.New Zealanders," continued the Minister. ' "My message to you is this: Take with you always the remembrance and recollection that though you belong to the AngloSaxon race, and are Britishers in ono. sense, in another sense—in a nearer and dearer sense—you belong to your country of New Zealand. Imperial officers who are with you we look upon, for the time being, as New Zealanders, and it is the fair name of New Zealand that you carry with you. "We look to you to add to that fair namo when you meet with Britishers and your friends and allies, and to show by your conduct what New Zealanders aro in the best sense of the word. I am firm in the confidence that you will add to the traditions of this country and those of the British Empire." The Moulding of Traditions. Proceeding, tho Minister pointed out that New Zealand was young in history and in conditions, and in tho moulding of the traditions of a young country there was more-opportunity for the soldier than for the civilian. The opportunities of tho soldier. were great, for the sacrifice for homo and country made by him was never forgotten, "You alo going away to win honour and glory f° r New Zealand 6o that our children will read what their country did in this hour of trial in the history of our raco," he declared. " "We havo fulfilled to the full oiirbaigain with the Mother Country with respect to our Expeditionary Force," said the hon. gentleman with enthusiasm. "We have realised within tho last few weeks that it is pur duty to do more than we have promised, and we ate sending you away more fully equipped with splendid artillery than was at first anticipated. We have doubled the Impounder batteries, and we are sending away a full' brigade of artillery, completely equipped and well manned. We. are also dispatching maxims, and we' aro sending wnth you the best of our officers, because we should not entrust the lives of from eight thousand to ten thousand, of our men without the most able leadership we can give them." The Minister proceeded to give a few wellchosen sentences of advice to the troops. If tho occasion arose he hoped that they would show mercy to the enemy, and when the hour of triumph came that they ■would respect the people they conquered and their property. Then thev would come back to us with clean ana honourable traditions, and help to lay the foundations of the future of New Zealand. - New Zealand, ho added, would keep them up to full strength, no mat. ter what the incidents of battle or of sickness were. Reinforcements would follow them, and they intended not only keeping the force at full strength, but, if there was necessity, to increase that strength.

New Zealanders at Home. • <! I may tell you that there ar& awaiting you in England 250 New Zealanders, who have been training to join your ranks.. I hope you will carry my message to them, that I am proud of thorn, and that New Zealand is proud of them," proceeded the Minister, end he incidentally mentioned that a printed message had been prepared for tho troops, which not only contained Earl Kifehener's advice to tho British troops, but. also special messages for the New Zealand troops from the Secretary for War, Earl Roberts, and the Minister of Defence. He- added that, although they were going away not quite so perfectly equipped as the -Government would have liked, they had done their best, and ho hoped the troops would carry away with them recollections of what .the women of New Zealand had done for them. To the non-commissionod officers he expressed the hope that they would win a reputation equal to that already gained by the British non-com'*.