STRAIGHT TALK.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 22, 31 December 1915, Page 4

STRAIGHT TALK.

A straight talk was given Jyr Majbi'General McCay in the course of an i address, at Sydney the other day and in his opening remarks he said: — “Australia as a whole does not realise the present situation in the war and the importance which a successful re--1 suit has to Australia.” He went on i to speak of the need to maintain Aus- | tralia’s independence, and scathingly 1 dealt with the non-fighters who should be in the firing line, or at least serving their country in the hour of need. In conclusion he said:—“Summarised, my opinions on the position are(l), That Australians do not realise fully the unsatisfactory condition of affairs from a soldier’s point of view; (2) that Australians scarcely realise how vitally success in this war is necessary for Australia ; (3) that many Australians tfo not realise that, tlje future of their country is of more importance than the future of their private affairs; (4) that enlisted men do not realise how vital the matter of time is, and how urgent it is that they should train as quickly as possible ; (5) that those who exploit the war for personal profit are pro-Gcr-mgms in effect; (6) that they who have any local differences which mightj.be important in time of peace, hut which now interfere with the sending of munitions, food, and clothing to our troops, are also, in effect, pro-Ger-raans. No amount of shouting and flag-waving and treating us to drinss wo don’t want will alter any of these facts. These things are not universally true of the people of Australia, but they are true in substance. Australia has given men and money—she can give more. And the man who gives his life gives the greatest, thing he has got, He gives something more valuable than the capital of the man who does not go. If a man goes he suffers in some way, but the man who does not go sticks to his capital and his skin. If justice were done, the suffering should be spread around. The men who go hud suffer should have some recompense made by those’ who do not. I hope that Australia will wake Up, as Britain has, and that our response to the call will be as successful as Britain’s has been. Vo can win with the men, but not without. If a man' docs not go and fight he 1 stands condemned,/p ( r ,pjl, time as a, man who preferred himself to his cdjmtry, selfishness to patriotism, Thef little ad^nfe'Mdftmhouhjtft,ihe advantage of liberty. And it serves him damned - well , right-’’-.