TO SEE IT THROUGH.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 August 1915, Page 3

TO SEE IT THROUGH.

iiIUTiSHEHS AXD TIIJS WAB. LOYALTY AXD. DETERMIXATIOX. MEETING AT NJ2W PLYMOUTH... The first year of war luis ended, to find the people of Britain and her Allies united in a determination to face the future v.'ith that spirit of loyalty and saerir.ee which is necessary for complete victory, and throughout the Empire yesterday—in the great cities of Britain, in the small towns of the far away colonies, in the towns of India and Africa—Britishers told the world of their determination to "see it through." There has been no greater demonstration in the Empire, and it was a demonstration which showed that the feeling which moved Britishers on August •!, IUI-1, existed with oven greater vitality 011 August 4, 1015, and proved a complete guarantee that every man and woman is at his or her post standing by and assisting the Empire. At New Plymouth the demonstration was of brief duration—a speech by the Mayor (Mr. J. E. Wilson). But that little speech embodied great sentiments, and every word was listened to attentively by a large crowd gathered near the railway station, and whoii Mr. Wilson retracted the glorious events of the past- year his words were applauded with enthusiasm, which was only exceeded when Mr. Wilson emphasised the determination of the people to do its duty to the full in the future. Mr. Wilson was surrounded by the leading citizens of the town, and the great gathering in (he streets was thoroughly representative of the people. The pupils of the Boys' High School and the Girl-.' High School were present, while the Citizens' Baud enlivened the proceedings with patriotic music. UNITY OF THE EMPIRE.

The Mayor, addressing the crowd, said:—Tliis meeting is a link i:i a chain of similar meetings which are taking place this day throughout the Brilish Empire—the Empire of which we are proud to form a part. We meet to express in the resolution which I sh-i.ll presently submit to you our faith in the unity of our Empire in this time of peri!, and our determination that so far as lies in our power as individuals we will do onr utmost to help the Empire an.] our Allies to victory in the war against the 'enemies of peace aiul justice. A year ago to-day Great Britain declared war against Germany, not because she desired to go to war with Germany, but because she had given an undertaking, as Germany had done, that, she would maintain the neutrality of Belgium, and Germany had deliberately broken that undertaking. Tn honor no other course was open to her, and we who look to Great Britain as our Motherland stood then, ami stand to day, by her side, proud to help her in her need. Those of yoa who have read the official records of the negotiations which preceded the outbreak of the war will know how far the British statesmen and diplomats went in their efforts to prevent wir between Austria and Russia. You will have be.sn convinced that so far from having war thrust upon her Germany was throughout the active agent in forcing war.. Later events have proved beyond question that Germany had prepiicd for this war for many years, not only in her own country, but throughout the world. The day camp when in her ambiiion and the arrogance of her military easlo she struck Hie blow which sje honed would place her first among the nati.'ns of the world. Never in the world's History has a nation had placed to its discredit such a shameful record as that which will he written of the German people. Cheeked by the bravery of the Belgian people at the outset, of liev attack on France, she has ruined the land whose neutrality she had pledged Herself to maintain, and has treated its people so vilely that the slain will never be effaced." Vt'e have now been fighting for a year against fearful odds. France has been invaded and was almost lost. Russia to-day is invaded, and the amies are hard pressed. All unprepared a-; Britain, France, and Russia we:e a year ago to stand against the preparations of many years we can si ill look with confidence to victory for those who are fighting for liberty and for justice.

LIBERTY' AXD SACltlriTT That tlio tremendous sacrifices o; noble lives wliie-li have already been iti;nU> !>y Allies must be followed by even greater sa.cri(ices before we tnuniph uvcr our enemies we must all admit. We are prepared to make those sacril'.ces in the cause of liberty and of just'ee, and because we know that only l.v er'is-'li-i"!? the military power of Gci many 'can we hope to ensure tlio peae-.' which we desire. Our Kmpire is fighting for virv existence; the time is past w'a•«. anyone c.ti: think that we can retain the privileges which we now enjoy without do-ng cur utmost to help the allied arni'es to victory. We must recognise 'hat we stand or fall as they are vi. Lirion; or vanquished, and the call for the be.-t that we can do cannot be denied. Nor wulu we deny it if we could. It was the hope of the German.-! that if England were beset her dominions and depend cnrics would take the opportunity to throw off their allegiance. How much they were mistaken has been proved by the glorious deeds of the Canadians and the Indian troops in France and Belgium, by the Australians ami New Zealand; ra oil the (Jallipoli Peninsula, and by the South Africans in their own country. A few years ago we fought against '.he Boer* in South Africa; today they have shown the world tint they prefer to belong to the British Kmpire. rather that! become a Orinan possession. VALL'K OF TIIK XAVY.

(\'rni:iny now is trvinj; lo pri'siU'l' 1 jjfiilj';'] CMitntrji's iJmt ?! if \< IWhting a drlVusive war. To-day that is true, in (he soil*' thai the kIIImI nations are determined tu carry (lie war to au end viitich will mean that for many yws to eome (ierman milil:tri:-ini will be powerless lo destroy the peace of the world. Ty-day her fleet is as it has bef-n for twelve months past—safe in its own harbors and not darinp to oit'er battle to the British sailors, who are hunger! is;; for a iiirht. Her ontlyiupr ships of war have been destroyed, and her commerce upon Ihe sr-as has utterly ceased. tlloriou.- have been the deeds of the men who have fouplif on land. AH honor, too, lo {lie men who keep their ceaseless wali-li upon the seas. Knplnnd's N'avv is our pride and our safeguard. Without her we .should to-d i.v belong to (icnmuiy. That is one of the aims of Germany, admiu<d by her own people—to take awuv from Britain her oversea possession's. That i* what we have to strive to the very utmost, limit of our power to prevent. Tf we are lo retain our liberty and enjoy the ri.dit lo live under Ihe whieli stands before th" worlj I for alftW ideals of liberty and justice 'we must be—and we are-prepared to make any sacril'iyc-, I put it to you

nie.-t solemnly that this m.u-jt he no empty assurance nf loyalty. The sacrifices which have been made during the last year by the Allies cry aloud to us that they may not have been in vain, and to every man and woman of us there must have come the conviction that cic'n of us must do his and her utmost. There is the gravest need that e\cj'y individual member of the community shall realise the absolute need for unity and that we must leave nothing undone which will help our country and. our Allies to as speedy a victory as is possible. DETERMINED TO TILE END. We fight to-day for the cause of liberty and of justice, and we will fight to the finish, confident that though our enemas may prevail for a time against us the sacrifices we have made and are to make will not be in vain, and that in tlie end the victory will be with those who give honor and liberty and justice the highest place in their national lives. Wo meet to express our adherence to these ideals, and I now ask you to pass the resolution which I will read to you: "That on this anniversary of the declaration of a righteous war, this meeting of the burgesses of New Plymouth records its inflexible determination to continue to a victorious end the struggle in maintenance of those ideals of" liberty and justice which are the common and sacred cause of the Allies."

The resolution was carried amidst great enthusiasm, and the band then played the National Anthem, which the crowd sang.