Call to Arms.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 290, 17 May 1915, Page 6

Call to Arms.

..'PTEAE TO YOUNG MEN. DUTY WHICH AWAITS THEM. RAEEY IN NEW PLYMOUTH. , Sr/iI.WLNS AT THE CIIURCIIKS. Karncst appeals to the people of Xew Plymouth to .lo tin. duty which n«-'» s them in the present crisis worn n.ad« m •ill the New I IvinoutU churches last, night, it was the first part of a rccniiliti" demonstration which was started \c-terdav and will ho continued today. A church parade was also lied at' which there was a lav-c attendance of Territorials, veterans, members ot the Defence IVille Club, Cadets, and the recently formed Railway Reserve. .A. . l)rr .,..Ji,m was formed at the Coronation Hall and. headed hy the Citizens iv,.„■ mri'lied along Devon Street to ~.aril..t'st,wl, where if, divided, a porlion "0i....- to the Whitcley Memorial ! liurcli and a portion to St. Mat., >. The weather was fine and there were verv large congregations at all the churches.

ST. MARY'S. At St Marv's (Anglican) Church the vicar Key. iAI H. Colvile, M.A., save a -tin-nig address to a large congelation, lie took as his text If. Samuel, •■>:>, I.>-1(, „„d in the course of h.is remarks -The- man who answers Ins country a cad to-dav just understands without being told and without being able to cxp am that it is pood to give all when that which is over all demands it, good to forget fear and all the weaknesses ot n,,;',,,.*,,!-!,! self when a trreat idea dawns

on the scul go"'' to » mko wllilt " ;u ' n " flee lie can cm'the altar of liis country s need good to take a big opportunity th-.t hesVomc to liini and to sacrifice i'esii to spirit. That is what ho understand/: and every lather and mother he'-e tn-ni"lit; even- true friend of the men who have left these shores to fight tne.ir country's battle beyond the seas; every woman who is at this moment doubting whether to encourage or hold hie!- oiie cVar to her to whom the call has come, must lay fast hold of that eternal truth—it is good to make a "real, -aerllice for a great need; and that the need is great to-day no one can doubt. 1 think we all know now how sadly misleading foolish optimistic ports of easy victory have been. The clear run through to success which some ■people expected a few months ago is now scon to he a delusion. We realise more vividly at this moment than at aay time since the war began the' greatness of the task, the stubborn valor, the complete unscrupulousnoss and the marvellous organisation of the power against which we •fight. We need every man we can put into the field, and no sacrifice that we can make will be tpo big for what is required. And surely to this little country the inspiration has come to-day. So many thousands of mile* away from the actual scene of strife, scarcely feeling the stress and strain of war,' our own shores free from attack, with every temptation to hug our own safety and rejoice in our own immunity, and to consider ourselves sulliciont ntito ourselves, we had scarcely perhaps realised the greatness of the terrific struggle on which our own freedom and happiness, bound up with that of our Motherland does indeed depend. And now the news of the daring and heroism of our own men who, a few months ago were among us, and are now fighting in a foreign land far away, and yet fighting for us and our homes and lives and liberties just as truly as if

they were protecting tlicsc shores from invasion, lias supplied the link and given just the impetus, the inspiration that \vu> needed. What young man of spirit among us, reading of what they have done and are doing at this moment, feels no urging, no impulse in his heart to be. of their company? Who on readit". the list of those who have already shed their lilood in their country's service docs not feel a sense of shame to lie living in comfort and security while others are suffering and dying for him? What man who knows in his heart that he ought to go and still holds hack, will not, when all is over, feel mean and. little .beside those, who have gone in jeopardy of their lives to win the world's freedom? Do you remember the words that Shakespeare puts in the mouth of Kins' Henry V. on the eve of the Battle of Agmconrt? There, a handful of half-

starved Englishmen were face to face with sixty thousand of the enemy. It seemed a hopeless situation for those few men. 'lhe French thought of them as already beaten: " The poor condemned English, like sacrifices round thoir watchful fires, sit patiently." But the King in his speech points the contrast between

them and the thousands who had remained comfortably at home, "and crentlemen in England now a-bed will think themselves accursed they were not here, and hold their manhood cheap, whilst any speaks that fought with us ir>on St. onspin's Day." What man who has deliberately held hack to-day will not feel that same contrast? It will he written on his heart: it will be stamped upon his soul. To ''hold one's manhood cheap" because of one's ow.n lack of spirit; to feel that self-respect has gone because of too great care for self—to every young man worth anything at all it will seem the worst thing that could have happened to him. There is a burden for each one of us to carry today, though all cannot fight, and the call to direct service does not come to all. 'Mothers, wives, sisters, sweethearts, the responsibility is upon all. None can evade it. The call comes to ven less than to your men; indeed, yours is the harder part. Your country asks even more from you than from them. Yours is the dailv anxiety, the hours of distress and loneliness, the longing and the fear of loss. Tint in your sacrifice there is a greatness and a glory that death itself will but male immortal. You offer your boy's blood for your country's life. You would see him a man among men, playing the part of a mi] man. taking his place among the makers of history. Remember the words of the old "Roman mother, "ITad T a dozen sons each my love alike. T had rather had elercn die nobly for their eountrv than one voh'ptiion-lv surfeit mil of action." Tt is a spirit such as that that will mean victory, that will rob death of its destroying power.

ST JOSEPH'S (HOMAX CATHOLIC) CHURCH. Inferring to ""■'■ world v.ido war in th, course of Lis sermon at St. Josephs Church, tin- Ycrytiev. l>ean.JcM'.ii',.i '" marked that it was iw.-t abeg. .her >"• unmixed e>il. It was tic '■'■;■■'"■,• biiii-iii" inaiiv P™ple > ll ' lU ' CT i 0 Ukl 'l \\'hcih,'r MO looked to England l''--K „ssia, Ccrman.v, Austria, or brlg.'i u| we everywhere mot with a revival .-. i. ■ Huion. Churches formerly empty /'','' ~'ow crowded. The prules.,loll oi no .soldier was one of the nob est bocse _ ',„. luul to make a perfect hoocaud o , lilIIKI! lf on the altar ot duty. ■< speaker d.vw a comparison between th,,rofe,sions of the priest, «1»<-1«'V, ;i»'l soldier, which he declared were the t,iw „„l.lost ill the world, us one and all hud to lie prepared to saonlico ih.iusePcs anvwliere and everywhere in i .'- ]><■ ' foi'mauce of their duty.

PRESBYTERIAN ('III.UCH. \t St. Andrew's Church, owing to nb- «.,," of the Bov. T. ."- Boscvi'are th.-omdi illne-s. the service was taken l,v Mr- CI- If- "o'V- 'i'lw <•»>"•'* ™. :1 crowded there being a. number ot Jci-rtm-ia's present, 'flu: text taken was: "Curse ve, Meroz. said the angel id tm Lord'eiiiveye bitterly the inhabitai, :s t! u v,,„f- liecause they came not to the ]„]:, „f the Lord, to the bela of ihe lord a-ainst the mighty." Judges 11,13. 11..=; sieru condemnation was uttered n\ j-,,,,,,,,,,1, on the people of Meroz who had. failed to come to the assistance of l.nzan in his fight against fiisera. and. said Mr. Do'i'iv it was imporlant to consider it we were in danger of any such couilorrinalion. lAfter a reference to the causes which led to the war am 1 Ihe lac th:i„ the Dominion was as vitallv interested in the defeat of (iermanv as any other coue.trv. tb.e speaker ~ointed out tnat the call came specially to young men ol lit a-'e to join the forces, but that it also did not pass !,v any who could no ■m on active service. The duty of (Pe-'e was not only to assist in wor,; fnr the Belgians and others, but.also to maintain a cheerful hopofu'noss which would add greatly to the strength and (staving power of the nation.

MTHTF.LKY MKMOIUAL CHITd'H. At the service at the Vvhiteloy Af"mo'ial Church in the evening, the Bey. A. B. Charpell's text was Numbers 112, (.: '- Shall voi'-r brethren go to the war and slial'l we sit here?" This challenging question was nut by Moso< io the tribesmen of Keubcu and of flail, who were tempted to remain in peace and pientv east of Jordan while, the other triuei passed over to light the enemy in I occupation. That story of a iar-away dav had definite application to the 'present crisis occasioned by the war, The appeal of Moses was the utterance of tne call of <iod. so to-day a religious impulse was felt by the. men called to the strusijle. Our Empire's part in the eonllict had been made inevitable, and Britain's cause was indubitably righteous. The real cause of the war_ was deever than Prussian military ambition, and evil .purposes were being opposed by the Allies. Moses doubtless hail some vision of the world's need. Through Israel "all the families of the earth" were to be blessed. That blessing was dependent on the occupying of the 'promised land. So 10-day the way .to the world's good led through victory in this contlict. Should flerman militarism triumph, tiie clock telling the advance ot universal good would be put back untold vears. The call of the world's need of true and lasting peace was heard, therefore, in the Empire's request for men.

" He needs must fight To make true peace his own; lie needs must combat might with might, Or Might would rule alone."

Moses uttered the call of the nation to secure the very existence of tile tribes as a whole. The children of licuhen and of flail were summoned to help. To-day an empire's existence depended upon every available and eligible man 'bearing arms. The tribesmen in the ancient story were urged by the plea that their own homo's safety would be secured only by active struggle. In obeying the call to the front to-day, men were ensuring the very safety of the loved ones they were loth to leave. Moses winged his appeal with reference to the "brethren" at the war. The i men at home in our day were being virtually called by the men at the front who had made sacrifices and were valiantly risking and even sulTcrins death. The tribesmen of the old story heeded the call of the best in their own manhood and went to the front. The men enlisting to-day in our own land were showing themselves eager to hoar a man's part. The call of the text did not apply to the men already volunteering or to those physically handicapped, or to the older men whose eagerness war not matched 'l>y their strength, or even to the few who could show just cause for pursuing vocations at home. All others, however, should solemnly face the issue. Like the tribesmen tempted to remain out of the conflict, some who to-day should enlist might he retarded by timidity or selfishness, or even superficial thought about those dependent upon them.. These other impulses should not deafen any ears to the call of the challenging question: " Shall your -brother™ go to the war and shall ye sit; here?" The line thing about these tribesmen—and the story was, after all, one of the finest of all literature—was that having faced temptation to be cowardly aiul selfish they went into the heart of the struggle. They went not merely with the others, but in the forefront, leading the other tribes to victory find remaining with them until those others were settled. Then they came back to peace wita honor. Might many to-day having counted the cost he similarly persuaded and crowned with honor.

BAPTIST. At the Baptist Tabernacle the Rev. Frank Hales preached from the te:ct, '", urse ye, Mcroz, said the angel of the Lord. Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof: because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty." The preacher said that the incident upon which the text was founded was an apt illustration of every man's duty during the present crisis. Mernz, a town or village of Palestine, had hung back when the very existence of Tsracl had been threatened by the Canaanites. She had sheltered herself in -tint time of national danger in

some secluded vallev, and allowed others to light Israel's liattlc. Mew. was m-ud'ai, impassive, and therefore useless. And the town thai betrayed lier country ',; iVr-oUon, nothing remains of her hut :1 . name, and thai name a syiminm <;t .■ram mid cowardice. And the lesson !!,;,j.. Mor.w lias for us to-day is short ( •■ml decisive. We ale summoned to the ;;,..,'„ „, ;:,,, Kmpde sig.linsl the mighty. ! I ■•(',',;.;.,. ve -Vet'oz.'' Those words may) I Oc'-tiH' In'"-'-d Within the soul when .1 j I ~,;,„ ileciini-i what his conscience declares ! Itohe a ■T.liiin .Ins v. "I know no nobler i viii'd'-'," V.'.i.i the. speaker in eoiiclusion, "no more siihlime ideal for the present I picture than (hat masterpiece of litemhire with which Abraham Lincoln enriched the political library of the United Stii(,.,-. The War of Secession was drawing to a close, and that great man, ;-,i whose character were combined the ],Hi iiislinels of a friii" statesman and the tender lirartod generosity of a true ! Ip-'.-tian. had been'for the second limn eleided Io the fr.--iiliTit.tal chair. In hs iuaiu'iira! address to Congress be spoke feelinglv of both the Federal and Confederate', force. 'l'-uli looked.' he said, 'for an easier triumph. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same . Cod: and each invokes His aid agnbi-t the other. . . The prayers of both

could not be answered.' And bis m ■•■ saire elosed with these words: 'Willi malice toward none: with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as Clod eives us (o see the right, let us strive to finish the Work we are in: to bind up the nation's wounds: to eare for him who shall have borne the battle, an 1 for bis widow and his orphan; to do all that I mnv achieve a just and lasting peace I anion;.' ourselves and with all nation;.'" "' When trumpets call, line up in front; The struggle is for life; Where danger lies, let nothing daunt Your courage in the strife; Brave souls meet fate with smiling face He prom! to die for right, To fall in front is no di-graco, , Care you how goes the lightV" SALVATION 7 AK.MY.

At the Salvation Army Hall last' ', night, to a .splendid congregation, Adju- i taut Home took his Bib'e lesson from ' I Timothy I chapter 2, and gave a telling ' address. At' his request, the eongrega-; ' lion stood while special prayer was oiler- j ed for all who suffered as a result of.! the war. During his address Adjutant. Home spoke of the great work the Salvation Army is doing in connection v, ilh ■ the war. tieneral Booth had sent ten fully equipped motor ambulance ears to : Hie "front and Quei n Alexandra had dedicated them in London. The Salvation : Army institutions were full to the doois with refugees, and only recently the • New Zealand wing of this organisation had cabled some £12,000 to he'p to al-j leviate the distress. At Trentiia.ni they were also doing a splendid work and their building, which accommodates some 2501) was nightly packed. In conclusion, Adjutant Home appealed for young men to do their duty to flod,: Ring, and country. I PUBLIC MEETING THIS EVENEd;. i

In aid of the recruiting movement a ; public meeting will be held at the 1 Theatre ltoyal this evening, when addresses will be given by Air. J. '!. M. Ilornsby, M.P., and other well-known speakers. A musical programme v ill be contributed to bv Messrs J. Haslam, Hill-Johnson, Lambert, and Day, Mi* Lilhei't, and a chorus. By special request this portion of the programme will conclude with a reproduction of. the Soldier Song and chorus as put on by the Technical College girls in the recent performance of "Princess Chrysanthemum." Mr. J. Haslam will be the soloist, and about seventy "Soldier and Sailor" girls will sing the chorus. A collection will be taken up by the Boy Scouts in aid of the Belgian Belief Fund.