OPEN-AIR RECRUITING MEETING

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2764, 6 May 1916, Page 8

OPEN-AIR RECRUITING MEETING

THREE RECRUITS ENLIST. , >. A recruiting meeting was. held at the corner of Boulcott Street and Manners Street last evening, and was attended by a crowd, of over 600 during tho early part of the evening, about 200 remaining till the mul i'ho speakers were Messrs. A. Jolly, 11.' A. Wright, M.l'., and SergeantMajor Dent As a result of their appeal thrO'o men stepped forward and gayo in their names.

Mr; R. A. Wright covered practically the same around [is on former occasions, and lie inado a strong appeal for recruits to come forward as v.olunteevß, instead of having to be' forced to go, to the front by. conscription. He held' tho opinion that Wellington City and suburbs had not done so badly in regard to previous Reinforcements, but greater efforts would have to bo made now.

Sir. A. Jolly traced the war during tho last eighteen months, and .told his hearers of England's great feat in raising an army of-5,000,000 in that .time, fully equipped, and on a war -footing.' He was of tho opinion that tliero wero plenty of men in New Zealand who could and should come forward without conscriptipn. Mr. Jolly appealed to those-present to think of what Belgium and Francs had dona for tho British Empire, and asked if the men here wanted a, Belgian or a Frenchman to'fight for a Britisher? Was not a 'Britisher able to light for himself? If so, why did the men not conic Torward here and enlist? The British Empire was in danger, and our own New Zealand was in : danger. Men, and women, too, must realise that every man was needed, and every man must

SO- . . - " ■' Sergeant-Major Dent also made a strong appeal for recruits. Ho told many stories of tho happenings on Gallipoli, and said that it was every man's duty to enlist jf ho thought ho was eligible. So forceful wais SergeantMajor Dent's appeal that a man who had been opposed to him throughout the meeting went forward and gave in his name and address. The new recruit stated at the outset'that ho did not beliovo in enlisting, and said that he was one of tho strikers in 1913, and had been struck down by a baton. When ho entered tho ring, tho crowd, which up to that timo had been . somewhat hostile towards him, gave him rousing cheers.-