DOMINION'S PART

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 281, 6 May 1915, Page 4

DOMINION'S PART

25,000 MEN SOON AT THE. ' FRONT. ANOTHER 25,000 MAY BE ■ NECESSARY. *'.'.' BRITAIN'S CALL FOR MORE MAORI TROOPS. ■SPEECH BY TOE PKKMIKK. By Telegraph.—Press Association. > Te Kuiti, Last Night. ' '■' A number of mutters connected with'-' the v*r were referred to by the PrimeMinister in his speech on opening the new municipal ball here to-day. lr. replying fo the public address of welcome outside the hull', Mr.. Massey-. • wud that lie especially d; sired to thank the natives who had taken part in theenthusiastic welcome to him that day Hhen he noticed the part taken in theproceedings by their native friends he übs reminded of the Maori Contingent that New Zealand had sent to the other ' Mdc of the world to take part in flghtin" the battles of the Empire there. (An" pliiuse.) The 500 lnwi or thereabout* ■ ■ that they had sent away had created a ' very favorable impression, not only in New Zealand before departing, but "alsoon landing in Egypt, where they took their place among other troops of theEmpire, (Applause.)

"Ihe Maori Contingent is now doing garrison duty at Malta," continued Mr. Massoy, "but I predict that they willsoon be given an opportunity to 'distinguish themselves 'in the same way asthat in which their pakelm brethren have distinguished themselves during the past few days. (Cheers.) When that timeconn's I feej absolutely certain that they will give just as good an account of themselves as we might expect from the descendants of their fighting ancestors.(Cheers.) T may follow up these remarks by telling yon that the'impression created by the Maoris on tlio great: men of the army has been so good that more soldiers of our native race are wanted. (Hear, hear.) We shall therefore lie asking within the new few days. or few weeks for another contingent from the Maori race. (Cheers.) I hopethat many of the young Maori menwhom I new see before me will be included in that contingent. (Hear, hear.) ZoalanM was doing in the war, Mr. Massey said that this Dominion was the tirst lo have an oiler of troops accepted by the Old Country. We were the li.-st doMinion to send troops awav, and ourtroops were the first to take possession■of German teiTitqry-iSamoa—which h»- ■ 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.) This number also included about .250 New Zealanders who wore in Britain when the war broke out.

New Zealand, he went on to say, was. also doing its part in regard to providing musts. We had ser-.i away 51) nurses besides providing 12 for the Commonwealth, thus making a total of (12. Applause.) There were now in camp at Treutham approximately 5000 men, and another two thousand were required ta go into camp almost at once. The men were now coming in at the rale of about a thousand per week—(applause)—and it would not be 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 artillery were now in camp, and i& was expected that the infantrymen oE this special force, about 2750 in all, would be in camp within the next few weeks. He was not permitted to mention dates, but, judging by present appearances, it would not be long before we would have 25,000 men at the front. (Applause.) No one could tell how long tlio war might last, and it might happen that New Zealand would yet be called upon to provide another 2>,00() men. If -o he believed theyvwould be forthcoming. (Applause.) this country had done particularly well during the Boer war, but during the present war it had doubly risen to the occasion, for more men had lK.cn sent away in the present Expeditionary Force than were comprised in the whole of the South African Contingents. At that time also the Imperial Government bore the expense Of the contingents, but this time New Zealand had taken upon herself the whole cost of 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 borne by the people in New Zealand, and he believed that this course was approved by 1)90 out of overy 1000 of the population of the country. (Applause and hear, hear.) The toasts which were honored at the luncheon included that of "Our Boys at the Front," proposed by Mr. J. Iloddie, the retiring Mayor of Te Kuiti, and responded to by Mr. T. E. Corkill, of the Bank of New Zealand. The toast was honored with the utmost enthusiasm, accompanied by cheers and the singing of the "Red, White and Blue."