“WE CAN’T LEAVE OUR LADS IN THE LURCH.”

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1738, 17 July 1917, Page 2

“WE CAN’T LEAVE OUR LADS IN THE LURCH.”

fr THE Now Zealand Club entertained the Prime Minister and Sir Joseph Ward at. Wellington yesterday afternoon. In the course of his speech, Mr Massey expressed the belief that New Zealand was doing its share in carrying out the war in full comparison with other parts of the Empire, but in this connection he declared that the cost of.living in Britain had gone up to an extent double that prevailing in New Zealand, and as to the railway facilities, he drew a vivid picture of the manner in which motor lorries by the thousand were being employed, and thousands of miles of railway had been torn up. There was no possibility of us losing the war (applause)—but if the war had been lost a strong attempt would have been made to make New Zealand a German colony. (Voices: “Never!”) He deprecated any suggestion that New Zealand should not reinforce her efforts because of America's entry into the war. “We can’t leave our lads in the lurch, and we’re not going to do it,” (Applause). Some thought we had done enough, but we might be called upon to do more, and we would do it. (Renewed applause). It was impossible to imagine that at this stage New Zealand would withdraw assistance. They needed a determination to see the thing through, and a full idea that the State must come before the individual, and that nothing mattered but winning the war, and that if necessary the individual had to give place to the State. (Applause). What we had to look to was to be

sharers in the victory which would come as the result of our combined efforts. Our men had done their duty, and it was our duty to see that they were properly reinforced, and that their dependents were properly looked after, (Applause). Many opportunities on behalf of the Empire had been missed in the South Pacific, but he believed the opportunities now offering would bo taken advantage of, and that it would be in the result a fine thing for the Empire. (Cheers). Our duty was obvious, and it was to do what was right, Australia had far better than many people had imagined, and there was, he thought, no inclination on the part of any of the dependencies to do anything but its duty and sec the thing through, “hanging on all the time.” (Cheers).