“COME ON.”

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1728, 21 June 1917, Page 4

“COME ON.”

A STIRRING MESSAGE. A stirring message was received by the Editor of the Dominion on the eve of the battle of Messines from Captain S. A. Atkinson, son of the late Sir Harry Atkinson. Captain Atkinson, who left a wife and six children to go forward and light in the Empire’s cause was killed at the battle of Messines when rushing forward to rescue a brother officer. The message, which should reach the soul of every able bodied ■man of military age in the Dominion, is as follows: — “War still running. As my freedom as well as yours is at stake, and you fellows as a whole without realising it are not doing anything like your share, I desire quietly to say a word or (wo. “Until New Zealand does as France has done, putting info the field every fit man, except the minimum required for (he essential industires, and putting in the Allies’ common pot her wealth and the united work of her people, for so long will Now Zealand continue to play with her freedom and sponge on others for her defence. There are a hundred good reasons why New Zealand has not yet done more, but if we mean to keep our freedom and self-respect we must overcome each of these reasons, which obviously are useless for defeating the enemy. You don’t idealise that putting men and guns here is the sole privilege arid duty of mankind at present. For that action New Zealand as a whole has no moral support whatever, for the number of her men in the Held is in striking and pathetic contract to France and Britain. Please don’t think I am not fully alive to my own shortcomings and to the privilege of being here and to your difficulties. ‘Come on!’ ”