Empire Defence League.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 2, 20 August 1914, Page 8

Empire Defence League.

OPERATIONS OF STRATFORD ■JI b 'LEAGUE. 1 ' RECORD OF USEFUL WORK. TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS £932. The Following letter lias been despatched to the Minister for Defence by Mr J. 13. Richards,, hon. sec. of the Stratford Empire Defence League : J have the honor by direction of the committee to place before you a resume of the operations of the Stiafford Empire Defence League. On Saturday, August Bth, an openair meeting was held in response to a telegram received by the Mayor that day from Mr J. 1L Hine, M.P., intimating that the Government would ho pleased to receive voluntary assistance towards equipping our expeditionary force. This hastily convened meeting was addressed by His (Worship the Mayor and others, who explained the object in view ; and the sum of £313 14s 2d was collected in the streets that day.

On Monday, August 10th, a public meeting, convened by the Mayor, elected an executive committee of seven to direct and control the movement. The meeting also elected a Lady Liverpool sub-committee, and an ‘jfitertninment committee.

At its first meeting of the executive committee allocated a sum of £SO for expenditure on material for the Lady Liverpool committee, who immediately proceeded to form guilds, who made hold-alls, kit bags, housewives, shirts etc. A shop was opened and attended to daily by ladies of that committee for the receipt and distribution of goods. Complete personal kits were made up, each containing articles as follows:—! pair blankets, 2 over-shirts, 2 under-shirts, ■2 pairs under-pants, 2 pairs socks, 1 towel, 1 kit bag, 1 hold-all furnished with knife, fork and spoon, 1 housewife (furnished), 1 clasp knife, I lanyard, stationery, ink pencil, shaving glass. Fifty-seven volunteers were furnished with a complete kit each, andi.sTS witih partial kits. That sub-committee spared no efforts to furnish every man leaving this district with a kit.

On August 11th the committee offered a new Studcbakor car and, on this being declined, the sum of £350 was paid into the public account for Credit of the Empire Defence Fund as a gift; o' *' The committee arranged for the wisit of an officer to Stratford, and lie purchased a number of approved horses for the Mounted Rifles and also purchatkE daddies and bridles for the use ; off'eleven troopers.

My committee, by effort anti expenditure of money, has ensured that no man from, this district has been prevented from going to the ■front by lack of equipment.

At time: ofMwriting our operations may bo briefly* smnufejJ up as follows:

Total ... ... 932 0 0 My committee will continue in existence pending information concerning a second expeditionary force, and is confident of a suitable response by residents of this district if occasion demands. GIFTS OF FODDER. TARIKI’S FINE EFFORT. Several gifts of fodder have been made to the Defence Department through the local office of the Department of Agriculture. Jn this connection the settlers of the Tariki district put up an excellent performance. They held a meeting at the end of last week and in the hall £56 was collected for the War Fund. Mr J. Mucker, of Surrey Road > made a gift of twenty acres of carrots, and on the spot a working bee was formed; and the working hoe did its duty to well that the 1 carrots were dug and trucked south early this week. By now, no doubt, the troop-horses at Palmerston have already had the benefit of a generous gift, made doubly welcome by quick giving. Other gifts received by the Department were stacks of hay from Messrs S. M. Porritt and J. D. Healy, and carrots from Mr Fraser, Toko. CONTRIBUTING FUNDS. MOW SHOULD IT BE DONE.

At yesterday’s meeting of the Stratford County Council a letter was read from the Wanganui County Council forwarding a resolution passed hy the Council urging tho Government to pass a Bill enabling local bodies to donate a twentieth part of its revenue to the purchase in New Zealand of food supplies to bp shipped and placed at the disposal of tho Home Government. Cr. Smith suggested that the Wanganui Council should bo informed that tlie residents of tho County had subscribed liberally and would, no doubt, do still more, but the Council had no revenue available for the purpose. Cr. Smith also suggested that the Government should strike a -special war tax so that everybody would contribute equally. ft was stated that the validating Bill asked for by tho Wanganui Council had now boon passed. THE NATIONAL RESERVE. FAC! LfTAXING ENROLMENT. For the convenience of those desirous of enrolling in tho National Ho-

I serve, enrolment forms may he ohtaini ed from-and iho declaration made hej fore Mr J. '.Misters, J.P., -Hr C. D. I Solo, J.P., Mr Joseph McCluggage, ! J.P., or the editor of the “Evening j Rost.” Captain Reeve, of course, will continue enrolling at the Courthouse. BALANCE OF POWER. ALLIANCE AND ENTENTE. Germany, Austria, and Italy—the Triple Alliance—on the one hand; Great Britain, France, and Russia the Triple Entente —on the other hand. Thus arc the great powers of Europe divided, and thus is the balance of power preserved. Once disturb that balance, once upset the international equilibrium, and, as the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Sir Edward Grey, remarks, we shall have a catastrophe flic end of which no man can foretell.

Triple Alliances may ho said tc have begun with the ratification between the Statcs-general and England of an alliance against France for the protection of the Spanish Netherlands. Sweden afterwards joining the league, it took the name of the Triple Alliance, on January 23, 1668. Another Triple Alliance was that between England, Holland and Franco against Spain, January, 1717. Then came a Triple Alliance between Great Britain, Russia, and Austria, September 28, 1795; and finally came what is known as the Triple Alliance to-day—-the Alliance of Germany, Austria and Italy—which was signed on March 13, 1887, and which has since that time boon twice renewed.

The Triple Entente—an understanding between Great Britain, France, and Russia is the outcome of the alliance between Germany, Austria and Italy. It is simply the means taken to preserve the balance of power. In some quarters it is believed that Roumania, though not one of the signatory powers, has given her adherence to the Triple Alliance. Her cordial relations with Germany and Austria certainly give some ground for the belief. At one time Germany also wanted to make Turkey a party to the agreement. WAR JOTTINGS. Thursday’s “Gazette” contains the following notice:—lt is the King’s wish that no subject of his Majesty in the .service of the Grown or not shall accept and wear the insignia of" any, foreign Order without having previously obtained his Majesty’s permission to do so, signified cither by warrant under the Royal Sign-Manual, or by private permission conveyed through his Majesty’s private secretary. Permission given by warrant under the Royal Sign-Manual will enable the insignia of tho foreign Order to he worn at all times and without any restriction. Private permission will only enable tho insignia to be worn on the occasion specified in the terms of the letter from tho King’s private secretary conveying the Royal sanction.

The Minister for Justice announces that the members of the Police Force have contributed £C3O towards the cost of the expeditionary force. The Railway Department has stated ‘that it cannot accede to the request for free excursion trains for patriotic concerts, football. matches, etc. The three main revenue-produc-ing departments, viz., railways, Customs and post and telegraph, must he made as strong- as possible in order that the ordinary business of the departments may he carried on, and the Public Works Fund strengthened. Gifts for the expeditionary force will ho carried free, hut that is the most that can he done. The running of free trains would only mean the substitution of the loss in railway revenue for the Patriotic Fund. A Gazette extraordinary issued last evening gives to all German and Austrian subjects peaceably resident in Xow Zealand full rights to sue and plead in the courts of Now Zealand, saving always the prerogative of his Majesty. The Press Bureau of London (says a cablegram) requests relatives of the expeditionary forces to inform the War Office of their addresses, to permit of immediate communication if

necessary. A little girl, Ruth Swainson, took her pot lamb to the gift sales at the Feilding saleyards last Friday morning and asked the crowd to “strike hard” for the patriotic fund. The little lamb passed on from buyer to buyer until it had brought £36 6s 6d, and then it was handed hack to the patriotic little maid who had offered it as a ,sacrifice to her country. Mr V. J. Leathern, licensee of the FJtham Hotel, has offered to donate to the FJtham patriotic fund the whole of the takings of Ids hotel bar on Wednesday next, 26th inst., widen is sale day. He wishes the amount to he applied by the committee for the benefit of any injured men from Elthain and district, or the dependents of any injured or killed. Wo (the Argus) congratulate Mr Leathern on his offer, and remind patrons of the hotel on that day that they will he quite at liberty to increase the ordinary price of drinks at their own discretion. Mr Newton King, of Now Plymouth, is supposed to he a passenger nu tiro Niagara, hut his friends are not in the least concerned about his safety (states the FJtham Argus). Th ?v reckon that if the Niagara was captured by a Gorman cruiser Mr King would invite her captain into a comfortable cabin and play him a quiet j little game at bluff for his ship, and something like this would he heard: “A straight flush beats a full house Captain Blusterhangfust, so the ship is ruiue. Now von just steer straight for tko New Plymouth breakwater

and be quick about it. Her arrival ' will be a fine advertisement tor our 1 harbor. lam sorry you haven’t a cargo of basic slag on board, for the I Taranaki farmers are whales on that ■ stuff, but I may send you for a load.” The Central Committee has decided that the general public having responded very liberally, no further street collections will be made in Stratford towards the War Fund until further notice.

■ 1 ,1 u £ s. d. 'Cam'll given 'I '' ■ ... 330 0 0 Horses •< : i... ... 351 0 0 Saddles and bridles 11 ... 61 16 0 ‘Kitfe (expenditure approx.) 165 0 0 'Artificial toetkl! ■'... ’4 4 0