AN APPEAL TO MANLINESS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 161, 31 March 1916, Page 2

AN APPEAL TO MANLINESS.

Tut grim horrors of the war aud the gallant part played therein by tho Now Zealand soldiers were narrated to a crowded assembly in I'ukekohe on Wednesday by Chaplain-Captain Macdonald. Although he disclaimed capabilities as a platform orat >r yet his address was eloquent in tho extreme and had the true ring of sincerity. Like a loyal soldier, although his desire had been to get to the firing lino, he had obeyed military orders and had remained at the baee hospitals in Egypt attending both as a minister and as a man to the wants and comfoits of the wounded as they arrived from Gallipoli. There he soothed the closing hours of many a brave New Zealander, and in no instance, he said, was there murmuring or regret from the dying man that lie had sacrificed his lite on behalf of his Empire and more particularly in defence of the women and children of New Zealand. The Chaplain drew a vivid picture of how while gazing at the hero, whose life-blood was ebbing away, his (the Chaplain's) thoughts travelled back to New Zealand and he saw before him his little children slumbering in their cots in peaceful repose and his wife retiring tranquilly to rest and he realised that there were similar happenings in all other households in the Dominion. Then he said, " I saw halo? of glory around the heads of the dying men, for they were responsible for the safety of the women and children of New Zealanl. They had gone forth to fight the enemy on his own ground to prevent him getting to New Zealand." In the interests of woman folk and of children Chaplain-Cap-tain Macdonald made a fervent appeal to the eligible manhood of I the Dominion to go and help his , countrymen in the tranches. The shirker, lie remarked, would be looked askance at in the future, aud 1 he trusted that 110 young woman , would accord such an individual her friendship. " The shirker (Jie said ' should be regarded with bcorn and contempt and he is an uacleau thing." In such words the speaker , re-echoed the Empire's call for men. Will it be adequately responded to i in our district 'i