NEW ZEALAND'S RESPONSIBILITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 January 1916, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND'S RESPONSIBILITY.

MANIFESTO BY THE PRIME MINISTER. The Prime Minister, the Plight Hon, W. F. Massey, hai forwarded to the press of the Dominion the following manifesto for publication:— Wellington, Last Night. To the people of New Zealand: — It is now close upon eighteen months since the Government of New Zealand, with the full consent and approval of the people of the Dominion, decided to place an expeditionary force at the disposal of the Imperial authorities. In tlie interval we have despatched over 34,000 tioops to the front; we have another 1-2.000 in training, and stand committed to the despatch of 2500 men monthly by way of reinforcements. This means that by the end of the current year we shall have sent not less than 01,000 men into the fighting line, no small achievement for a country which has only a population of little over a million.

Hitherto we have worked upon the voluntary system, and while men are forthcoming in sufficient numbers to fulfil the engagements which New Zealand has made with the Imperial authorities, there is no desire on the Government's part to depart from that system. At the same time it is particularly desirable that every single man of military age and fitness, and possessing the minimum of responsibilities, should be induced to do what under existing circumstances is his obvious duty. 1 make, therefore, no apology for an appeal to the manhood of the Dominion, especially as arrangements are nojv being made to bring our new recruiting scheme into operation. We are all proud of the magnificent response that has already been made to the Empire's call for men to do battle in the cause of justice and liberty, and for the deliverance ot tne oppressed. But the effort which loyalty and patriotism demand of Us now is greater than was at. one time anticipated, and requires that we should put every ounce of energy we possess into the scale against Germany. The need is for men; more men; and still more men! The call comes to every man in this country who is in a position to do so, to prepare to take his place in the fighting line! The cry corner from our sons, brothers, and kinsmen in the trenches: "Come over and help us!" It rings through every note of the official despatches, it is echoed by the sick, the wounded, and by the men who have returned invalided from the front. The graves of Gallipoli appeal to us, silently yet eloquently, that the sacrifices made there, and the heroic lives laid down on that shell-swept peninsula, shall not have been given, in vain. No man worthy of the name can remain deaf to such appeals. The Empire needs the faithful and devoted services of all its citizens, if it is to prove victorious in the stupendous task to which it has set its hand. Never in all its glorious history has it called upon its peoples in vain. Shall we fail it now? The Motherland, which has made many sacrifices on our behalf, appeals to her sons across the seas for their assistance and co-operation. Zeppelin raids, coastal bombardments, and the grim menace of submarines, have familiarised her with the horrors of a warfare we have so far happily escaped, and which we too should experience but for the protection the British fleet affords ns. It is our duty—nay, more, our privilege to go to her help. In certain quarters of late we have heard tall; of the "iPrussianising" of New Zealand. Only in one way is it possible, to Prussianise New Zealand, and that is' by allowing the enmey to become victorious. If by apathy and indifference we fail in our duty, and so make conquest an easy matter for our adversaries, the responsibility will rest upon those who have declined to accept the privileges and duties of citizenship, chief amongst which is the defence of the country. Self-preservation, a care for our homes and the sanctity of our family life, apart altogether from love of country, alike demand that we should be on the alert to repel the foe, and to defend the Empire on the fields of battle, where the decisive blows must be struck that will bring either victory or defeat to the opposing forces, and whk-h will decide our destiny, together with that of the Empire with which our fate is inseparably connected.

Germany's plan of conquest, which have been unfolded before the eyes of a i astonished world, since the war began, included the annexation of the British overseas Dominions, also of Egypt, and probably India. We need, therefore, be under no illusions as to our fate, if the Central European Powers prove victorious. Tho German eagle would replace the Union Jack and the New Zealand flag in these southern seas. The Huns would simply enter upon and despoil the country, and German autocracy, backed up by Krupps guns, would take the place of our free institutions. Democracy as we know it would perish under Prussian ride, and it would become a crime to speak the English language. Has not a leading Berlin paper told us, with the approval of the German official world, that "Mankind need German methods," and ''must make use of them for its spiritual preservation," and has not the Berlin Deutsche Tages Zeitung declared that we must also accept "the blessing" of the German tongue? "On all men,' it arrogantly writes, "not those belonging to the more cultured races only, but on men of all nation-

alities and colors, the German language acts as a blessing, which, coming direct from the hand of God, sinks into the heart like a precious balm and ennobles iti and so, English," the journal proceeds, "the bastard tongue of the canting island pirates, must be swept from tlie place it lias usurped and forced back into the remotest comers of Britain until it has returned '.to its original elements of an insignificant pirate dialect."

The dangers we have to guard against are very real, but if we are true to ourselves, true to the traditions of our race, and faithful stewards of the sacred heritage committed :to lis by our forefathers, we need not fear the result. Only by disunion, disloyalty, and halfheartedness, can the victory pass from our grasp. We New Zealanders pride ourselves most of all upon our loyalty to our Empire, our Country, and our Flag. We have made sacrifices on their behalf, but the call is for greater sacrifices still. We are proud to think that tens of thousands of New Zealand's sons count it an honor to take up arms on behalf of the Empire, and that her 1 heroin daughters have .willingly braved the perils of the battlefield, and of service in strange lands, in order to minister to the suffering and to succour the wounded. Duty calls us' to battle on behalf of the right. Failure to defeat the damnable doctrine that "might is right" will land the world into the abyssmal depths of savagery. Honor demands that we should make sacrifices for the good of our fellowmen, for the protection of our women and children, and for the sanctity of our home life. Belgium—crushed, torn, cruelly violated, wickedly betrayed, as surely no other country has ever been before—and as no other country shall bo despoiled again if the men of our Empire are true to the traditions of their race— Belgium and other martyr nations appeal to us for succour and sympathy. We need not wait to have the whole record of Germany's infamies, scientifically proved, to realise tjie call of duty here. British people will never forget the sinking of the Lnsitania, the Arabic, and the Persia, the drowning of our nurses, the- murder of Miss Cavell, and the other atrocities revealed to U3 by the inquiries which have taken place, and from which civilisation shrinks ia horror. For Britain's sake, we have sent our sons, our brothers, and our kinsmen to the war; for her sake and for our own protection, and for the safety and happiness of our women-folk and children we must continue to reinforce them, and to strengthen their hands in every possible way. We must fight on, until a durable peace becomes possible, and the sword must not be sheathed until Belgium's wrongs have been righted, until Russian Poland and Serbia are again freed from the yoke of the oppressor, and .until ample guarantees are available for the safety of the smaller nationalities of the world. In this way we can all play our part. But to this end we must be prepared to make sacrifices, and I am satisfied that, the people of New Zealand who have already done so much in this direction, will continue steadfast to the last, and bear themselves worthily and well in this wSr of wars, and in thia houn of the Empire's greatest need.

THE CALL IS STILL FOR VOLUNTEERS. ManjLjvlio read this appeal slioukl enlist right away. « Duty reminds them of their obligations, from the trenches their comrades call to them, the cry of "to the front" rings out more and more insistently. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? Men of New Zealand! We must "keep the Germans out of old England," and out of New Zealand, and every other British possession. What is wanted now is the spirit of the Lancashire man of whom I read recently. His two sons bad gone to the war and word came that the younger had been killed. The father was not content, although he was considerably above military age, until he was able to take bis boy's place, and one day found himself in the fighting jine by his eldest son's side "Somewhere in France." Gripping his boy by the hand, the father said: "I've eoom to take Andy's place. When word came about thy brother, thy mother bad? me coom to thee, and T'd be a shamed man if I failed to do siimraat to keep the Bosches out of old England, and we've got to do it, lad, for the sake of thy mother and thy sisters." By keeping .the Bosehes out of British territory we shall save civilisation, we shall save the Empire, and shall be in a better position to efficiently assist our gallant Allies and redeem Belgium, Poland, and Serbia: It is our privilege to act to-day. A dutv deferred, or neglected, may cause us lifelong tribulation and anguish, of

Let us then ''act in the living present." F.verv man able to bear arms is needed at the front. You know if you come within that category. If you do, enlist at once! And, like a certain soldier of Kitchener's army, you will be able to say, 'T was not among the first to go, but I went, thank God I went." (Signed) W. F. MASSEY. Prime Minister and Chairman of Recruiting Board.