RECRUITING SPEECHES AT KHANDALLAH

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2714, 8 March 1916, Page 6

RECRUITING SPEECHES AT KHANDALLAH

APPEAL BY LIEUT,-COL ON EL BRANDON The Mayor of Onslow, Mr. C. Crump, presided at a recruiting meeting lipid in the IChandallah Schoolroom last night. 'J'hcro was an attendance of auout IUO persons. Mr. It. A. Wright, M.P., in paying a tribute to the courage of the soldiers at the front, said that an equal share of the praise had been earned by tlio mothers, fathers, and wives, who had lot their loved oues go forward in the service of Empire. It was inspiring to see the spirit in which sacrifices liaH been made by those most closely related to tho soldiers, and to know tliat tho great majority of tho people of the Empire realised that the present war had to be fought to a victorious conclusion, v/biiievor tho cost in men and nioncv might be. Licat.-Colonel A. de 11. Brandon said: J.hcro aro some wiio think that the Geimans do not want New Zealand, but let me say that if it had not been tor tho preparedness of tho British Navy tlio Dominions and colonies of treat Britain would have been tlio first objects of attack. Those Dominions and colonies wore practically helpless had the German Navy got tho start on the Jngh seas. For what purpose did Gorjriany_ want ■ Now Guinea and Samoa and its chain of wireless telofraiihy centurmg in Berlin? It was because Germany recognised that in a war with Jinglantt the most effective operation be to paralyse its limbs. Ihe fight is not yet ivon. The great struggle is going on with circumstances that wo cannot picture, and unless we are ready to throw in our last straw tliero may not bo sufficient weight on tiro back of tho German camel to break it. Wo aro at war. Do many of J' ou know what war really is? I doubt it. We read tlio newspapers and l we look at pictures. We see our troops drilling and we seo soldiers departing and returning. We seo among the sol" mors some who have.so far recovered from their wounds, that they have boon able to return home, but we have not seen the dead ami tho dying. We have not seen abandoned: homes. We have not seen tho ruins of homes. We have not) seen farms and gardens turned into slaughteryards, whero corpses remain unburied for days. Wo .have not seen the lines of deep trenches taking the places of rows of vegetables, tho trees under which tho children sought shelter from the sun uprcoted, and in their place a yawning chasm wrought by high explosive shells. If wo could realise these things we would then have sonw slight idea of what war is. "Now, what is tho position hero at home? What is the duty of the young and vigorous; the duty of sons to their parents, of husbands to their wives, cf fathers to their young children? That duty is to maintain and support them and to protect them. Is thoro any man sound in health and of fighting age who ,would not care if his parents were murdered, if his children or anybody else's children wore stuck through with bayonets, if the old people were left to starve by the roadside, who would not care if his sisters or anybody else's sisters were carried away to gratify tho lust of German soldiers? If thoro is. such a man, that is the man who is a traitor to his country, a traitor to the parents to whom he owes his life, and a traitor to himself, that is the man to be despised. Is there a man who says that ho can make money by staying at home, and that he will let those who like go out and fight? Jf there is such a man, ho is even worse than tho other man; he is tho ghoul who robs tlio dead in their graves. I ask you to think over what I have said, and if you agree with mo then let 110 effort on your part be spared to encourage our men to do their duty. Fathers and mothers! Be proud of your l>rnve sons who are ready to lay down their lives for your safety, and be prouder still if your consolation is that your sons did their duty!" Mr. W. Madeson also 6poke in a patriotic strain. Tho meeting resolved unanimously to do all in its power to further voluntary enlistment. During the evening songs wore contributed by Mrs. Buygh' and Misses Twist and Maclcay. Miss Mason was the accompanist. TO-NIGHT'S RECRUITING MEETING This evening. Dr. A. K. Newman, M.P., and Mr. E. Kadfield. will address a meeting at Paraparaumu. RECRUITING IN THE COUNTRY The Pahiatua and ■ Alritio County Councils have passeH to assist the new recruiting scheme. Tiventy-ono "recruits from the Pahiatua sub-area went into camp this week —seven in excess of the required number from this district. THE MASTERTON MEN. There was a considerable crowd at the Masterton railway station on Tuesday morning, to witness the departure of the Wairarapa quota of the Fourteenth Reinforcements. Altogether, about 125 men answered the summons, which is double the number originally intended. The men were heartily cheered as tho train drew out from Btation. Speaking at the recruiting meeting on Monday evening, Major OsburneLilly stated that he had on his books about thirty men of the quota required for the Fifteenth Reinforcements. A big effort is to be made to fill the quota before the end of the month. There are sufficient ambulance men available in the Wairarapa to fill the quotas lip to the twenty-fourth Reinforcements. Sergeantr-Jlajor Yarrow, of tho Maßterton Defence Office, is being transferred to Wellington as instructor to tho Field Engineers. Ho is being succeeded by Sergeant-Major Woodward, of Palmerston North. | IN FAVOUR OF CONSCRIPTION 1 By Telegraph—Picss Association. Eltiiam, March 7. A meeting last night, about 100 being present, passed a lesolution favouring conscription. AUCKLAND'S QUOTA FUtL By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, March 7. Six hundred n'en and thirty-six probationary non-commissioned officers leave to-day for the 14th Rcinforcoinents. boing the full quota of Auckland district.