The Taihape Daily Times FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 1916. OUR BOYS AT GALLIPOLI.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 84, 7 April 1916, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times

FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 1916. OUR BOYS AT GALLIPOLI.

AND WAIM AEINO ADVOOA.TE

(With which is incorporated The Tai bape Post and Waimarino News.)

An event that should arouse even th< most shallow-rooted patriotism in our district is to take place in the Town Hall on Wednesday evening next, when Captain-Chaplain Blamires will tell us the truth about Gallipoli, and about the career of our sons and brothers since they left their homes to jfigh+ against the unspeakableness of Germans and Turks. Captain-Chap>ain Blamires is no ordinary man, no ordinary speaker, no ordinary lecturer; he does not exaggerate, modify, or omit: he does not tune his story to ears wanting amusement; his is an unvarnished record of what actually took place, what our lads actually went through, he, -himself, sharing all therups and downs, griefs, sorrows, and joys with a loyalty, patriotism an bravery unsurpassed by none. We are all a'nxious to hear the truth about orNew Zealand fighters' exploits in Egypt, and in Turkey; and why should th e truth be tempered with fiction when, admittedly, it is much mo" wonderful, much more thrilling, exciting, and interesting than any invention that oven an orator like Captain-Chap-lain Blamires could substitute. Ir I has stood by our men, remonstrated with them, and praised them, lived with them, and followed them into Eastern hells of jjleasure as well as into the hell centres of war, sharing with them all the dangers of the' battle, and saving them from social dangers no less terrible. 2STo man is better able to tell us all we want to know about our men at war or while waiting, than Captain-Chaplain Blamires. Let us say at once that if it is an oTdinary sermon from an ordinary parSon any of our readers want or expect, then they had better stay away from the Town Hall next Wednesday evening, for Captain-Chaplain Blamires is no ordinary parson, and his story will reseniblfe no ordinary sermon. He is an effective orator, and tells in forceful,, plain, and ilnmistakeable language as much as can be crowded into an evening's talk, of the truth we are all anxious and longing to know; he doesn't avoid the many pitfalls our men have had to encounter, telling us only of their deeds of glory; at the same time he is an unanswerable champion of our men's good name. Those who do not know Captain-Chap-lain Blamires, and have never heard him, may learn how the man and the parson are blended in him by his characterisation of the distressing accuss tions made against our lads while in Egypt- With all the force that man can put behind what he knows to be truth, he said "It is a damnable lie."

Although this subject will be again reverted to in future issues, we ought to c here make it plain that CaptainChaplain Blamires is not on a lecturing tour, and the few addresses he has given since his return from the front have not been for emolument or self-en-richment; lie is a true patriot, doing all that his undoubted abilities and natural powers permit him to do for his country and his fellownu-ri. He has not come to his homeland to spend the remainder of -his days in peace. He

has been prevailed npon by leading men of this district to honour Taihape with a visit, and in granting their request he will have to pass over places that would readily have contributed large sums of money for an evening's

address, simply because he is very shortly going back to the front, to the ' scene of fighting against both men and devil; to work in a capacity with men from his own land. Th e mental vision of our lads moving in strange lands, risking their lives for home and country, does not conduce to remaining in New Zealand ,and he is going to them in whatever country they ar e called to fight, to share with them their dangers and privations, while contending against common enemies. Wherever Cap-tain-Chaplain Blamires has told the story of our lads the town halls and theatres have been quite too small to hold the people who wished to attend. This is the only opportunity that has yet been given us to hear the truth | frankly about ir men since the first of them landed in Egypt.