WHAT IS OUR DUTY?

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1414, 22 June 1915, Page 2

WHAT IS OUR DUTY?

What is our duty? This question was adced by Dr Gibb in a sermon at Wellington on Sunday. He proceeded to answer the question. This first : To realise that till now the war has been a war betwacn the Gemini nation and the Army and Mavy of Britain, and to realise further that we cannot conquer till the ualiou, the whole nation, every man and woman, U yoked to the task of overcoming this grim enemy. Into this struggle must lie put all that we are and all that we have. And one of the first results of the mastery of our minds by this conviction will he this; Every man physically fit, and of suitable age, will enroll himself in the army of the Dominion, Wc cannot all go. Young men and strong men must stay behind for the sake of the men who go, as well as for other reasons. But let this point be stressed. The question whether any man is to go or stay should be left to the authorities. Our duty is to volunteer. If the lot falls on us to stay at home, let us in our home sphere gird ourselves iu all possible ways to help ou the great issue ; if lot falls on us to go and fight, then in the name of God let us go and play the man. Whose heart did not thrill at the sight of those gallant men marching through the streets of our City ? One thought of the cry of the old gladiators: “We who are about to die salute you.” Ood grant that many of them may return. Doubtless many of them will not. They will die and be buried in a strange laud. But they reck not of that, these splendid men, the flower of our youth, whose faces seemed to betoken self-control, a clean life, a high purpose. The men who are now going to the front or volunteering to go, know what is before them. They have counted the cost. They have given up all for the sake of their country and the cause of freedom. God bless and reward them ! They are going for us. They are going for you. Did you who looked on them —you who might go, but have never faced the question—feel no prick of shame ? You cannot all go, but every young man ought at the least to offer his services to his country. It is a source of unmingled gratification to me that nearly a hundred of St. John’s young men are alread} 7 enrolled in the army of the nation. It will he larger presently. Shame on the laggaros, shame on the cowards, who hang back in this day of Armageddon ?