SPEECH BY MR MASSEY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 5, 6 May 1915, Page 3

SPEECH BY MR MASSEY.

I’kr Pm-ps Association. To Kuili. -May 3. Speaking in regard to the _ woundedj casualties at the Dardanelles, Mr Mas-j sey, in a speech here, saiu that thej news that had been received on the previous day had brought sorrow to, many homes in the Dominion, but was sorrow mingled with pride at the, part that our men were taking—-m pride in the part,that they were doing, so well. (Applause). .Right through-' out New Zealand, as in other parts' 0 1 the Empire, he continued, there was a determination to see the war through to its very end and to secure a victory whatever it might cost. (Cheers).| Jn alluding to the necessity for more men the Prime .Minister said that he looked to the manhood of the country, to those who were not kept at home by family ties or duties—-and there were thousands of such—to register their names so that when they were called upon they might be ready to go into camp to train for playing their part m tin* defence ot tlie .Empire. (Hear, near.) He referred to the anxiety that had prevailed in regard to the absence of a complete list 01 the casualties at the Dardanelles, and read the following cablegram from the olficer in charge of the New Zealand records oiliee at Alexandria ‘“Everything posiole is being done to prepare correct lists of the killed and wounded. \on can understand tnat where so many names are involved great care is necessary in verifying before cabling. Only a lew particulars as to the killed have been yet received. We are working at high pressure.”

Mr Massey said that lie had also received another cablegram, which indicated that further lighting had taken place at the Dardanelles on Sunday and Monday and that our troops hau assumed the ollensive and were making successful advances in the Gallipoli Peninsula. “The Maori Contingent is now doing garrison duty at Malta,” continued Mr Massey,“but I predict that they will soon be given an opportunity to distinguish themselves in tne same way as that in which their pakeha brethren have distinguished themselves during the past few days. (Cheers). When that time comes 1 feel absolute ly certain that they will give just as. good an account of themselves as we might expect from the descendants of their lighting ancestors. (Cheers). 1 may follow up these remarks by telling you that the impression created by the Maoris on the great men of the army has been so good that more soldiers of our native race are wanted. (Hear, hear). We shall therefore he asking within the next few weeks foi another contingent from the Maori race. (Cheers). 1 hope that many of the young Maori men whom 1 now see before me will be included in that contingent. (Hear, hear). In referring to the part that New Zealand” was doing in the Avar, Mr Massey said that this Dominion was the first to have an oiler of troops accepted h;v the Old Country. We were 1 the first Dominion to send troops away, and our troops were the first to take possession of German territory— Samoa—which ho hoped would remain British territory for all time. (Hear, hear). Including the men sent to Samoa, the Maori Contingent, we had sent away from this little country no fewer than 17,000 men on active service. (Applause). Tins number also included about 250 New Zealanders who were in Britain when the war broke out. New Zealand also sen( away 50 nurses besides providing 12 for the Commonwealth, thus making a total of 02. (Applause). • There were now in camp at Trentham approximately 5000 men, and another two thousand were required to go into camp almost at once. The men were now coming in at the rate of about a thousand per week—(Applause) —and it would not b t > long before they got the number at present required. He, however, did not know how' many would be required in future. He referred to the acceptance by the Imperial Government of an additional artillery and infantry force from New Zealand. The whole of the 500 arid lory were now in camp, and it was expected that the infantrymen of this special force, about 2750 in all, would be in cam]) within the next few weeks. He was not permitted to mention dates, hut, judging by present appearances, it would not bo long before we would have 25,000 men at the front. (Applause). No one could tell how long the war might last, and it might happen that New Zealand would yet lie called upon tovprovido another 25,000 men. If so. he believed they would be forthcoming. (Applause). This country had done particularly well {luring the Boer war, but during the present war it had doubly risen to the occasion, for more men had been sent away in the present Expeditionary Force than were comprised in the who!,, of tin 1 South African Contingents. At that time also the Imperial Government bore the expense of the contingents, but this time New Zealand bad taken upon herself the whole cost til her share of the Empire’s burden. Every penny of the expenditure connected with the assistance that we were giving to the Empire Was being homo by the people in New Zealand, and lie believed that tin’s course was approved by 1)11!) out of every 1000 of the population of the country. (Ap- [ plause and bear, hear.)