BRITISH EMPIRE ORDER

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 217, 7 June 1919, Page 6

BRITISH EMPIRE ORDER

OFFICER DECLINES THE, HONOUR. By Telegraph—Press Association Auckland, June t>. . The lengthy list of King's Birthday Honours recently published contained the name of Captain D. C. AW Cossgrove, who throughout the war occupied the position of Director of Eccruitiug, and who was responsible for the whole of tho recruiting work in connection with the raising of reinforcements for the Expeditionary Force. Captain Cossgrove, in common with a. large number of military officers, was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire. He has now written -to the Governor-General as"follows:—"Tour Excellency,—.l have the honour (o acknowledge receipt of your Excellency's telegram of the 3rd inst., in which you ask me to accept the hearty congratulations of Her Excellency and yourseK on the honour which His Majesty the King has graciously been pleased to confer upon me. ■in reply, I regret thai. I must decline the honour, and trust that Your Excellency will take such steps as may be necessary to have my name expunged from the roll of members of the British Empire. My reason fori this step is that as the Government of New Zealand saw fit to retain roe coinpulsoril.r in New Zealand during the period: of the war with Germany, thus refusing to permit nie to serve His Majesty in tho field, 1 cannot accept a reward for doing wha": little lav in my power on Home Service in the Dominion. ' No honour that can bo conferred upon me will ■■recompense me for the loss of seeing active service in the war of lfltt-lS—'l have the honour to l>c, A'oilr Excellency's most obedient servant, D. C. AW Cossgrovp."