A WAR LEAGUE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2572, 21 September 1915, Page 8

A WAR LEAGUE

WHAT NEW ZEALAND IS DOING

GREATER SACRIFICES URGED

Thirty-one people, five of them women, attended the public meeting called for last evening "of those in favour of forming a War League." Mr. H. F. von Ha'ast presided. •Mr. von Ha-nst said that, the object of the. promoters of the league was to rouse the people to the urgent needs of the' situation and to convince the Government that the people were willing to makd greator sacrifices. Was New Zealand doing its utmost? Could it do more? If so, how? He thought that New Zealand could do mere' in various ways. . It had been said that pressure bad been brought to bear on, tho Defence Minister to send half-trained men to, the-firing line. ' That was not the War League's proposal; tho leaguo would, like 'to see even better-trained men sent forward, if that was possible. What Now Zealand had was men r.f valour and prudence', and these it could supply: It Jiad been said , that wo woujd supply about 77,000 men over a three years' ternvand.it seemed to him. that we had at least 100,000 men of' fighting ago available. Could we not do_ as Australia, intended—double oiir reinforcements? Did' Mr. Allen mean, that lie said on Saturday that for every mail' of', purs who fell ho hoped wo would send two forward? Ho lipped so. Great Britain was carrying on an activo recruiting campaign with Kitchener at tho head of it. . Kitchener said that England could now' arm and equip all the men who offered their services, and so, if we could not equip men'hero,' wo should send them to England. It was not encouraging to recruits to know tlioy had to wait five or six months before they got to the front. As to.'the national register, Mr. yon Haast said lie had an objection to it because it took no account of women. Women in England were doing a great deal, and New Zealand women could do all that English women were doing, hi another objection to tho register ho was at one with the Labour Party, for tile register proposed to take no account, of wealth. Stock should be takenof our wealth, and. everyone should contribute according to his means, and t'lio wounded soldiers should not bo dependent on the proceeds of carnivals. Another thing was that the National. Reserve should be placed on a proper basis. Perhaps tho Defence Department object to it, just as the War Ofiico objected to the Citizens' Corps at Homo, on tho ground that it provided a shelter for men who should bo enlisting for- active service. Tho National Reserve should be put into very, serious training, say on tlireo nights a week and on Saturdays. Tho public parks should ho given lip for the training of die Reserve,, and should be lit for use-by_ night. Ho felt that at tilo present time whosoever should seek to save his life would lose it, and whosoever should lose his life would preserve it.

Mr. A. It. Atkinson said thai New Zealand could do a threat deal more than it had already dejie, and every man of lighting age should ho sent to the firing line as soon as possible, except that, men needed for necessary works be conserved. The''community was indebted to The Dominion for recent articles in which tho danger of fixed idea's was pointed out. Somo portion of tho fixed ideas were good, and should not be disturbed', but thero were.other portions which were a danger. lliero was a danger of regarding t-h'o. number, 8000 ith© approximate strength of our : Main • Expeditionary Force) as something that had fallen to us from. Heaven. But that 8000 mark was fixed on at a time when a ■war of the magnitude of the present 'struggle was not contemplated—when •England's forco was fixed at 100,000, and now England's force was reckoned" in millions. ■•

Mr. D.'M. Findlay moved that a war leajTUo should b© formed. Mr. J. J. M'Gratli, who seconded the motion, that tho national wealth slioiild be and ho remarked that it the young married men of tho community knew that their families would be well provided for, they would enlist in thousands'.

Mr. K Kennedy said that it seemod to him that the league was not to bo lormed to assist the Government, and it it could not assist tho Government * should cither, not lie formed or should be formed for tho purpose ot ousting . tho Government. Ho did not hold with Mr. Allen, but if Mr. Allen was Minister of Defeiico ho must be trusted. If he could not be' trusted, then the movement should be to remove him not to tell him what ho ought to do. If tins league were formed, and it caused division of opinion in the ranks of the people, dissentious which would split the 'National Government might grow, lo set such a league in •motion at the present time would be •like setting a match to a blade of grass. •

Mr. AV. Maddison said that 30 per. cent to 40 per . cent, of tho workers would refuse to sign the national register in its. present •form. Professor T. Hunter said that tlie working men had volunteered very heavily, and ho 'vas sure"' they would Continue to do so. ' The following constitution of , the league was adopted:— . ' 1. Tho league shall bo called tho War League. , i .' 2. The object of tho league is to expedite. and." extend the organisation (f tlie people and resources of New Ze.iland for the purpose of taking our full share in the defence of tho Enipiro and the prosecution of' tho war, and to assist the Government in accomplishing, this object, and to those ends (inter alia):—(a) To promote- by all means open to the league the.recruiting; of all men available for active service, and (h) to organise the rest of tho population for all other purposes ancillary to this main purpose, '(c) To organise' the whole. of tho resources of the country, national and individual, for tlie purposes of the war. '(d).To induce citizens of other centres throughout New Zealand to form leagues with the same object, and thereafter to co-operate with this .league in the promotion of that object. 3. The league shall consist of persons who approve that object, ond who subscribe not less than one shilling a year towards its funds during the continuance of tho war. 4. The executive of the league shall consist of a president, two vice-presi-dents, ,a secretary, a treasurer, and ten members (five persons to form' a quorum). Tho executive shall be elected at' tho first general meeting, to hold office'until the termination of the war. The secretary shall convene meetings. 5. General meetings may be called by tho executive from time to time, as it deems fit, and shall be called at any time by the secretary upon receipt of a rcquisitioa signed by ten members. The. meeting passed a resolution in favour of tlie national register covering a record of the wealth of tho people.