NATIONAL, SERVICE?

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2617, 12 November 1915, Page 6

NATIONAL, SERVICE?

STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER "GOVERNMENT KNOWS ITS DUTY." OUR ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE. ' ' 1 A. statement was made by the Prime , Minister yesterday regarding the Government's attitude towards compulsory ; national service. "In a few days," said Mr. Massev, "we shall know the result of tlie war census which has been taken, and by the result the Government will be guided. I have noticed a disposition to bo hysterical on this subjcct on the part of a few people already afflicted with cacoethes scribendi. We have been tolerably free from this sort of thing in Now Zealand, at least as compared with other parts of the Empire, but if it is necessary for me to do so let me assure the people of this country, whatever their opinions may be, that tlie Government knows its duty and will coutinue to Jo it.. "What. New Zealand has already done lias met with the enthusiastic approval of the Imperial authorities and those who aro best qualified to judge throughout the Empire. That is 110 idle boast, but a plain statement of fact. Our men are acknowledged today to be among the best of the soldiers of tlio Empire, their training; and courago have been the admiration of the senior officers of the British Army. Apart altogether from the Territorials and Senior Cadets, we have 40,000 men under arras. This is something to be proud of. Our obligations to the 'Imperial authorities for next year or until the conclusion of the war are 2500 men, say every four weeks. This will include 9000 of the 40,000 I have referred to, leaving 31,000 or thereabouts to be found (luring 1916. "That the Dominion can and will do this I have not the slightest doubt; if not by one method, tlieu by another or by a combination of both. In matters connected with tlio war the Government are, of course, working with tlio Imperial authorities, and <cannot allow themselves to be affected by every opinion that may bo expressed, but we nro working all the time with one object, and that is Now Zealand doing its full duty in assisting the Empire to bring the war to a successful ttnd satisfactory termination."