RECRUITING CAMPAIGN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2631, 29 November 1915, Page 7

RECRUITING CAMPAIGN

DR. M'NAB IN THE SOUTH

TRUTH DAWNING ON THE PEOPLE

A vigorous recruiting campaign ' .'is being conducted by the Hon. Dr. M'Nab in the Canterbury distriot, whore the response to tho Empire's call has not been ready.

Speaking at Leeston on Friday night, Dr. M'Nab said ho felt confident that he and those associated with bim would be ;ibl<j to drive the position home into -he minds of the people. As the result of what ho had learnt from one of his brothers, who had been educated in Germany, lie had instituted his campaign in this;, country on b.ehalf of compulsory service, were thousands of people who, had they possessed tho knowledge lie had before the war,', would have been the greatest of pessimists instead of optimists, as they were. "He who | runs may read," and* now the position, despite the censor, was dawning uponthe people. Everywhere all over the British world the community, he believed, were beginning ta realise the position. We had had to pay a tremendous .price in life and treasure for our unpreparedness,. and now we had to see things through. The war had to be won. If the steel curtain were drawn ddwn that night and no further steps saken to secure men end material, wb would have lost tho fight, and' the fall of the' British Empire would have been a blow to civilisation. It was on his perfect confidence in the young men of this country that ho based his optimism in the final subjugation of the German Empire. Germany would never give in whilst she had one single man left. People who got a peep behind the steel curtain that hid Germany realised that every member of the German nation, from the humblest child to the inhuman brute at the top, was filled, with but one resolve alone, to win the war. Who iin this country had given up anything, except the 42,000 young men who had sacrificed their prospects by enlisting? In Germany all the. skill of the nation was being devoted to one object, the winning of the war-; their one single purpose' was to end the war in tlioir favour. One nation prepared could hold up., the whole, world unprepared. Much as we disapproved their other efforts, we must take off our hats to their organisation. . , More Men Wanted.

And that was why he was there that night, to appeal for more men. Though wo had_ sent 42,000 •we wanted 2000 every six weeks until tho'end. - For how long he could not say—it must be for twelve months at least. The theory that we_ could defeat Germany by financial stringency had been exploded, as had been:so many other theories by this war. It was known that in this country there were 100,000 men unmarried between the ages of 20 and 45. Of these possibly 30,000 might be unfit.. He did not appeal' for married' men, not except as a last resort. '

What About the Shirkers? He felt satisfied that enough young men would enlist to- secure the satisfactory result of the'war, but what was going to' be the position of the shirkers ? There was a rising publio opinion already which looked askance at every unmarried young man -who had not gone into khaki. Before he had left Wellington he was rung up on the telephone one day, and a'woman's voice {iskcdjiim if he were" going down to Canterbury to conduct a recruiting campaign. He said he was, and the lady then asked him if lie would go to Leeston, as there was need for his presence there.' "I promised to come to Leeston," said Dr. M'Nab, "atd here I am." (Applause.) In conclusion Dr. M'Nab asked what was going to be tlie, miserable position in life of the shirker after, t'hft war, when young men came bac® and by their influence dominated the life of the couth try. He could not conceive man in the publio life of the country, of military age, who would havo the pluck to get up and solicit public support when he had to confess that he bad not volunteered for active service..

Southerners Hanging Back? Speaking at an open-air meeting in Christchurch on Friday night Dr. M Nab, who ivas received with cheers, said _that ho did not suggest that the South Islanders were not doing their duty, but there was ■ah impression abroad in tlm Dominion that the. southerners were banging back. -"He felt that once the urgent need was thoroughly known the younjg men of the south would bo just as ready to come forward as anyone else. He explainod the views of the Government towards conscription, and said that it was hoped earnestly that it would not be necessary, though there was already very considerable pressuro being put on the Government to c.nforcc . conscription. The families' of every man who had gone were probably conscriptionists, and the combined pressure which could be brought to bear by this large body of people was very great. If the young moil did their duty/there>would 'be no need for conscription. They wanted 2000 men every six weeks, until the war was over, but when that would be he could not say. The speaker referred at some length to the basis of the'military strength of Germany, and the difficulties'the Allies had to labour under because of their distance from the scene/of-' action. He believed that in tho end' the Allies would win, but nothing had''happened on the battlefield yet to justify-any optimistic prophecies. Dr. M'Nab explained that the New Zealanders were not fighting for England, or Canada,'or South-Africa, but absolutely for their own country, for that would be the country Germany would take first if the Allies lost the war. The' speaker concluded with an. earnest exhortation to the young men of New Zealand to do their duty, and not to bo among the few who could not point with pride to an honourable decoration won, on the battlefield when doing their duty to their country.