4 MEN, STILL MORE MEN-

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2522, 24 July 1915, Page 6

4 MEN, STILL MORE MEN-

NEW ZEALAND'S PART GREAT NATIONAL MOVEMENT URGED APPEAL TO THE GOVERNMENT 'A large deputation from the Patriotic Society and citizens cf Wellington, headed by tho Mayor (Mr. ,T. P. Luke), attended at. Parliament Buildings yesterday morning, for the purpose of waiting on. the Minister of Defence (tho Hon. James Allen) to urge the Government to send more men to the froiit, and to start a national register. Owing to the fact that the House had put in an all-night sitting, the Minister was not down at 11.30 a.m., tlie hour appointed for the deputation to take place, 'and it had to be postponed.. It was decided, however, to meet the Minister at 3 p'lm. oh Monday. There were about twenty citizens present, and, the members subsequently held ar.meetirig -in the committee-room to discuss subjects relating to New Zealand's share in. the war. Mr. H. F, von Haast presided. The DUty .of New Zealand. Mr. S. A. Atkinson said that there was very widespread feeling in the Dominion that New Zealand was not doing all. it could do and should do to assist the .Mother- Country in the present crisis. • "There are three essentials- that must bo observed by! this ccimtry if:wo are to do our duty," he stated. "First, we must concentrate the resources of the country solely upon the 'war. We must find out how many p'.en aro required" to raise our primary products and. to keep <tlio army in the field.. The; residue 'miidfc ho made immediately.available for the war: Thero is no other way of facing,the situation. Secondly, we must get into personal touch'with tho l'acts of the position. No one in authority lias como from England or gone'to England sinco the war. began. -If wp do not work on these lines, wo may' suddenly find that tho war camo.tp'aii end, ond that we havo .in fact been sheltering behind Britain or France. ' The men who have enlisted have done their-duty, but the country as a wholo lias not. It is impossible to doour duty unless we apply tho,'simple principles that,-wo should apply to our everyday business. Lord Kitchener has asked for every man between 19 and 40; our business is to get them «t once. There is a third point that requires to be hammered in, and that is that Lord Kitchener'does not repreesnt us. Ho 6poke' to the people of Great Britain. Wo are in a much more difficult position than, the people at Home,, for we have to decide what it is right for us to do, and we have then to come forward and say we proposo to do it Even at the risk of appearing to thrust ourselves forward we must decide upon our duty and go forward with it. If we do not we may simply fail to secure a lasting; peace."The National Reserve. Major Corriga'n supported, the demand, for a national, register, and suggested that the Government should bo urged to make . some' practical use of tho organisation provided by tho National Reserve. . The chairman said that tho men who had joined the Nationnl Reserve had hoped to bp of use, and he did-not see why tho, body, should not be accorded some official status.' reserve.should be allowed to work in conjunction with a scheme of national registration. Most of the members of the force were as fit physically .as tho : reserve troons that Germany was-putting into th<j firing line, and they should be allowed to undertake , work of some practical kind connected with the military service. The Empire simply could not afford to waste its strength in any direction. War" Not Nearly Over. Mr. L. A. -Edwards said that somo people were talking and writing'as though the war was nearly over, andtho speedy; defeat of the enemy was a foregone conclusion. That was all buncombe; The reserve strength of the German nation was- tremendous, . and. the sledge-hammer blows which had hurled' the Russians oufc'of Galicia, .and opened a way for. the German, armies to the gates of Warsaw showed what mighty forces had' still to he overcome by the Allies. The Germans were not beaten. The duty ,of the men of New Zealand was _ to insist upon the Government sending. increased drafts, to the ■ front. "Wo are.hero ready to go, and we are not. going to be stopped, 1 ?, said Mr. Edwards. ' In the - course of further, discussion, Mr. Atkinsoh said that the deputation would have done good service if it could help to break down the -.party and political, influences which we're hampering the operations of the 'defenco system. Committee Appointed. _ Thp-meetjiig>et'jup, 'a'committee, consistiiig\'df the' Mayor., w Major Corrigaii, and Messrs.' ;H:: F/'Von' Haast, G. R; Smith,~.L;;Mac'inttisb,"'arid S.' A. 'Atkinson (secretary); to draft resolutions for presentation to tlie: Defence Minister, and to. make what other arrangements might be deemed ■ necessary :in order to arouse public interest in the agitation for, more ■ Soldiers and national "registration. - :- •' . , " ' • |

The" sub-committee subsequently framed tlio following resolutions:—"!. That as a component part oF the-.British Empire and as loyal citizens thereof recognising' it' as our bounden duty to take our full sliaro in the present warWo aro determined to pjace at once at tho'disposal of tlio British Government every available man backed up to the utmost .limit of our resources to assist in bringing'the war to a successful and speedy issue, and :we call upon the Government to give immediate effect .to our determination.

. "2. That as a means to'tills end, but without in any way' delaying tho immediate- further, increase of our forces, a register ho taken forthwith and with all speed of-all'persons in tho country with all such'details'as arc required to cnablo the authorities to make uso of ovory. '. person • in tlio country for tho purposes of tho war, .whether for actual lighting or for Accessary civil work in the country."