"YOU ARE ROTTERS."

Taranaki Daily News, 16 November 1915, Page 5

"YOU ARE ROTTERS."

-MUX WHO DON"!' ENLIST. A RACECOURSE SURPRISE. THE SOLDIER'S .STRAIGHT TALK. • After the third race at Riecavton on Saturday, says the. Christcburcb Star, something in the nature of a sensation was caused by the fiery and straight from tiie shoulder speech, backed up by a parade of returned soldiers, delivered in the bird-cage by Captain Donald Simson, who fought in the South African campaign and at the Dardanelles. Captain Simson paraded all the returned men be could get, and with the permission of the officers of the clu'u, delivered his address. He said that he wished first to address his remarks to the stewards, who included many of the most prominent men in the Dominion. 11,. wished to ask them if they had considered whether tJiey should have run the meeting responsible for tlie large gathering. The stewards were not only trustees of racing, but were also trustees of the young men and women in the country who were present at the races, while the Empire was at the point of a crisis. But for the headlines in the newspapers it would be impossible to knowthat there was a war on. The stewards who held the racing meetings wen- responsible for the gathering, and they could not call on any eligible man i'u the crowd to go, since they were the causes of his presence. New Zealand was not taking the war seriously while racing was allowed to continue. "There are men here who have undergone the trials of battle," said the captain. "I know what they have gone through. There are men here with one leg, men who have lost an arm, or an eye, or have had their health ruined fighting for you. If you think von are running these races for patriotic purposes, and in the interests of funds for soldiers' comforts or of the wounded, you are mating a mistake. (Cheers.) There are members of Parliament here. You have not taken the war seriously. You make excuses; you are always making excuses; you '-blame the Defence authorities; you want a change of doctors; the Hon. Mr. Allen is making mistakes. You do all these things, but you hold races. We are not going to fight for you for five bob a day; no money 'could pay us for our ruined health; -but we have the right to come tack—and these men will come back in thousands—and take a hand in running this country." Turning to the outside enclosure he said: "You men who are there are all shirkers." A Voice: What do the men say? Captain Simson: ''They back me up. You are absolutely indifferent to the call of your King. You are absolute rotters. (A Voice: (live it to them.) You are rotters, and I don't altogether blame you. Tlie older men in the population should give you a lead, and tell the Government of to-day- that racing should stop, and that men of all classes should be sent out. You have ignored the call of your King, the appeal of the press; you have ignored your dead and wounded in Gallipoli; you have ignored the appeals of Parliament. These men here, who have done their bit and done it well, are the last voice to appeal to you.'' To the inside enclosure he made a similar appeal, and urged that men who were too old to go, but had more of the world's goods than the men outside, should take up the duty of providing for tlie wives and children of tlie men wbo did go. It was no use trying to shelter behind the fact that thev were too old. They had a duty. They should take the places of the young men who could go and help keep' their dependents. At this stage Mr. Buckley approached Captain Simson to remind" him of the approach of the starting time of the next race. The crowd hooted vigorously, but Captain Simson again remarked that it was by the invitation of Mr. Buckley that he was able to apeak, and he thanked him. He would sav what he had to say as briefly as possible.. The speaker then turned to the ladies and said that their presence at the races showed that they had not considered the position seriously. They brought men out with them. If they thought of the men killed and wounded, the outrages in Serbia, the sinking of the Marquette with its 'brave New Zealand nurses, they could not with decency be present that day. "It is no good sheltering behind those men in mufti. They won't protect you from outrage. It is the men in uniform who will protect you, and them only." In conclusion he addressed himself again to the stewards of the club, and asked them publicly to seriously consider tlie question of such meetings. '■[ ask you again if you will consider this appeal at a meeting called promptly. If you ignore this appeal you will tell these men that they have fought for nothing.'' The men and Captain Simson were enthusiastically cheered, and someone in tiie crowd called for groans for tlie men who sent the horses out for the races. These were given, and the incident closed.