CALL TO THE FIT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2599, 22 October 1915, Page 6

CALL TO THE FIT

WHAT WE FIGHT FOR OUR HERITAGE OF FREEDOM THE DIRECT APPEAL RECRUITING MEETING IN THE TOWN HALL Tlio recruiting meeting in the Town Hall last night was attended by'about 2000 people. Included in the number were a good' muster of the National Reserve, who marched to the mooting from their several districts with bands playing. The speeches were inspiring, but there were many of them, and tlio meeting was long in; consequence, so leng that the audicnco was restivo long before the end. It was impossible to discover how many recruits volunteered after the Meeting, but during the evening several gave in their names at tlio recruiting oliicc, raisicfi the total for the day to about fifty. Tlio Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) presided.

The Resolution. Tlio Mayor said that the people had met that night on the anniversary of Trafalgar Day, not- to exult over the defeat of our great ally, France, but rather to express admiration of what France had done since Trafalgar Day. (Applause.) But for the efforts of Belgium and Franco we should not be so happily circumstanced now. Tlio heroic defence put up by these Allies had mado it pi esible for Britain to throw an army across the Channel in timo to stop the enemy's rush to Paris, which city they had reckoned on seizing six weeks after tlio outbreak of war. Now the enemy had seen what Britain could do, and it was certain that not only would we thwart tho enemy, but we would, defeat liim. (Applause.) It was said that Britain was not prepared, that she was '•muddling through," but wo had our traditions of freedom to maintain, and ivo would keep them. (Applause.) Now, we would not withhold our sons from tho sacrifico necessary to keep our freedom. There was sadness and apprehension lately owing to tlic unsatisfactory news from' Gallipoli, but lie was satisfied that tho splendid fighting of cur army in Gallipoli had been a splendid example for our men to follow. .He paid a special tribute to the nurses who had gone far from home to succour the wounded, wliich tribute was received with loud applause. He besought all young men fit to go not to hold back from enlisting. (Applause.) Let it not bo said that we would send other men to fight our figlit. Thero were men in the trenches now in Gallipoli, in France, and in Flanders, who wero calling to the strong men of the Empire to come and help. He hoped that those men fit to go would not leave their comrades iu tho lurch. He moved tile following resolution: i 1

"That on the anniversary of Trafalgar the citizens of Wellington, in public meeting assembled, desire to express (1) their gratitude to the British Navy for the protection which has guaranteed to tlie oversea Dominions the inestimable privilege, of a (free, autonomous, and peaceful development; (2) their thankfuluess that tho great democracy of France is ■ now standing shoulder to shoulder with tho British democracies in their fight against a military tyranny that threatens the liberties,of tho whole world; (3) their determination to give the N.eyiy. Zealand Government hearty support in its great endeavour to put all the available resources of the Dominion in men and material at the.service of the Empire; and (4) their unabated confidence ill the. united power of the British Empire and its gallant Allies to carry tho war to a successful issue,"

Our Obligation to the Navy. Mr. A. R, Atkinson secoitded the resolution. Trafalgar Day was a day on which the thoughtful amongst the British people' could not forget'our obligation to the British Navy. The Navy had protected the Dominions while the.y wore growing to maturity, and it was to the Navy that wo owed every privilege we now enjoyed. He had seen it written that but for the British Navy overy French port would have been in German hands a year ago; the ships plying the Atlantic would have been carrying munitions to Germany instead of to the Allies; our wool and mutton would have been going to Hamburg instead of to London; tho meeting could probably not have been called without the consent of a German policeniaii; and instead of a British Mayor in the ohnir wo should have had a German burgomaster! He hoped that after the war we would become partners in the Navy, supplying not only ; money contributions, but contributions in kind. Naval power, however, was not sufficient to overcome a great Continental Power. NajJoleon survived Trafalgar by ten years, but Waterloo knocked him right out. We had not done much to holp the Navy, but ho thought wo were entitled to say that we had done something in the way,of improvising armies. The numbers of the troops we had supplied wore creditable, and the quality, it was generally admitted, was excellent. A friend of his who had seen our. troops had written in a letter that, man for man, without gas, the New Zealand troops would walk the Germans across Europe. That he believed to be the literal fact. The response of the young men of New Zealand had been magnificent; words failed him when he thought' to pay to them an adequate tribute. (Applause.) The need for recruits' was urgent. Formerly our requirements- were at the rate of 1800 men every two months. Now our requirements were 2500 overy month. Some, amongst them himself, had from time to time urged the Government to do more. "But," ho said, "I am bound to say that I think Mr. Allen in his last statement to Parliament toso to the occasion in the most magnificent manner. Mr. Allen has- his faults, and we have all indulged in one criticism and another of him during the last few months, but I think we must admire the courage and persistency of the man, and his absolute faithfulness to his trust. I have no hesitation in expressing my own personal conviction that if°tho National Government has done nothing more than producing that splendid programme which Mr. Allen submitted to tho country in the last day of the session, it has absolutely justified itself. Wo asked the Government for a load, and the Government has given us a lead, and such a lead that we shall have to keep walking pretty fast to keep up with it." Those who could go—let them go at once, he continued. Thoso who could not go—let them got others to go. Thoso who wero too old to go might do lots of things. They might join the National Reserve— (applause)—or tho War I en"ue. (Applause.) Ho asked tho audience to believo that Kitchener, Asquith, and Grey knew more about their jobs than we could possibly know, and oven more than tho newspaper scribblers—ho was not referring to editors in Wellington. Ho would uracil rather see the Napoleon of the Press in London interned on Somes Island than all the Germans in New Zealand. (Laughter.)

The "Moral Conscription." Mr. A. H. ilindmarsh said that in this war there could be no division of opinion. The claims of justice and the claims of country were united, and when thr„c claim a were umtod m the JSnKM, the English wracible. .It

was said that we worried through rather than won outright, but wo usually did worry through. (Applause. Valour was the most admirable trait in tlio human character. He believed that Lieutenant Warnoford, V.C., was fit to rank with Shakespeare—(applause)—and ho bolfeved there were thousands of Lieutenant Wa-rncfords in our Empire. While this was so, wo could nut fail. Ho hoped our New Zealand men would not. hold back, becauso thero was a moral conscription impelling all to enlist. The timo had como in New Zealand when

no man who was fit to bear arms could not hold back and maintain his selfrespect. He was proud as a Labour member of Parliament of tlio manner in which the workers liad offered their lives in the Empire's service. (Applause.) Appeal to Strong Men.

Mr. H. J<\ Von Haast addressed himself to the sportsmen ai:d athletes of ths country, and asked them to join t'heir comrades in the great game of war. In this groat game the New Zealand soldier had proved himself without a superior. (Applause.) He could'almost hear from the trenches the cry, "Give us enough men, and we'll force the portals of Hell." Ho asked the athletic men to follow the lead of tlio great athlete, his friend Anthony Wilding, whoso Jiamo was now inscribed on tlio Empire's roll of honour, or the lead of that fearless motorist, Moorhouse- To tie swimmers, he would say that they should follow tlio lead of that peerless adventurer, Freyberg— (applause)—the man who had emulated the feat of Leander, with this difference, that Leander got drowned and Freyberg won through. (Applause.)) To the footballers lie would say, "Follow the lead of ono of your own soundest footballers, Hardliam, V.C.—(applause)— who is pointing the goal to which you all should aim." This contest was the greatest, of all championships, the champienship of freedom for all races. (Applause. To the men of his own profession he would say, "Follow the. lead of that gallant lawyer, Colonel Malone." And to those wlio asked what those who stayed bellied would do for their wives and families, he would say that it was up to those who stayed beliind to play the gamo just as those who went away, and to ! see that the dependents of those who fell woro provided for. He would make a simple proposition, wliich he hoped others would follow. Every man should leave behind him a mate who would bear his burden. Ono way in which the mate loft behind could bear the burden was in paying tlio insurance premiums of the man who went. He would ask the first recruit with dependents who enlisted that night to allow him the privilege of paying his insurance premiums to the extent of £20 a year. (Applause.) Mr. John Hutcheson said that he would gladly accept the suggestion made by Mr. Von Haast, to the extent of every penny he could find beyond what was required for his just and honourable debts. _ (Applause.) The Navy, to the admiration and the wonder of the world, 'had discovered a way of dealing with the submarine menace, and also had beaten the Germans with submarines in the Baltic and the Dardanelles, at their own scheme for gaining supremacy of the seas. This was a time for national co-operation, and certainly not a time for carping criticism. He mado a final appeal to the young men not to tarry long but to offer now.

. "How Dare You!" Captain Donald Simson, who commanded the.British section of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and _ who was wounded at tlio landing on Gallipoli, was cheered enthusiastically when he rose to speak. - He said that he spoke with the object of trying to put recruiting on a better basis,; and ho did so because he knew what it meant to tho men in the trenches if the reinforcements did not arrive. How dared men let it be suggested that there was danger of our reinforcements not being kept up! We had promised to the Main Body, and to overy reinforcement draft, that the reinforcements would be kept up, and our promise was well within our powers. He would ask the people not to place too much reliance on tlio cable news. His own humble opinion was that Gallipoli would. never be evacuated. (Applause.) His advice was not to heed the irresponsible critics, but to wait for Kitchener's word, for Kitchener would give it when he thought wise. His idea was that every man should be trained. • It was all very well to say- that the New Zealanders could beat the Turks or the Germans, man for man, and so on. He wished to say that untrained New Zealanders were no match for trained Germans or Turks, who were brave soldiers, overy one of them. What was the reason' for failure of recruiting? Was it cowardice? Was it indifference? Bather it was the failure to realise the seriousness of the position and the fact that wo were fighting for our very existence.' Wo had no right tj leave tlie. New Zealand boys holding on in the trenches without support. Ho would beg of everyone present to go in for a certain amount of route marcliing and physical training to fit them for servico when tlie,v were required. General Bot'ha formerly an enemy of Britain, had his pledged word to be loyal to Britain and lie had kept his word to the letter. Did Botha criticise Kitchener, or ; onjp about thgJJjij'danelles ? No; he went and did his iob with his Dutchmen in German SouthWest Africa. (Applause.) If General Botha could keep liis promise!, surelv tho peoplo of New Zealand oould keep their promise to tho forces who had gone to the front. (Applauso and loud cheers.)

Tho Lot of Women. Dr. Platts-Mills, representing the Women's Brandh of the National Reserve, addressed tlio meeting. She said that the lot of the women was .to look on while the boys passed on to Gallipoli or Flanders, and pray that the war would bo over 1) of ore they reached there. AM yet they knew that the only way to end the war, and perhaps to save those who had gone, was to send more. (Applause.) The women could do work to relea-se men for active service

"Let us be Poor Men." ( Mr. J. P. Firth said that the exploits of our troops showed that there had been no deterioration in the manhood of the race. He appealed to all men fit to bear arms to go, and those who remained behind must see'that the mother or the wifo of the man who died was provided for fully. Lot it be clear that the nation would do its full duty by them. Some might.say: "What of the'cost?" .To'them he would reply: "Well, what of it? If it makes lis a]l poor'men, what then? Let us be poor men!" (Applause.) He appealed to men who had nothing to give, at least to give their labour in tho service of the country.

Won't You Cet Into the Game? Mr. Alfred Jolly spoke with fervour 'and vigour of the man who saveel tho Empire at Trafalgar, the man -who gave himself for this country, Rave himself piecemeal—an eyo at tho Nile, an arm at Copenhagen, and a life at Trafalgar. Ho did not believe that Britain would muddle through this war. Sho would not win that way,' but only by the organisation of all our effort, military and industrial. And she would win in tho end. We had ajust cause, but though our cause was just wo must fight for it. Had we the patriotism of the Germans? He thought we had not, although we had liberty. Were we going to bo shamed by those Germans who had never known what freedom was? ITe did not believe men were holding back to savo their skins. Ho made a most eloquent appeal to the young men, summed up in these words—"We've got everything to fight for. Won't vou got into tho game?" Tho resolution, kmc since forgotten) was affirmed with cheers,.