EVERY MAN WANTED

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1916, Page 8

EVERY MAN WANTED

STIRRING APPEAL FOR RECRUITS.

THE "SHIRKER" WHO MARRIES.

WAliNlXf; PROM HON". ,T. ALLEN.

A splendid recruiting speech was made by the Hon. .T. Allen (Minister of Defence)! at the Theatre Royal last night. The principal note sounded by the Minister was the necessity for every available man to enlist immediately, and he addressed some very pointed remarks to the man who ean go an d refuses to do so. while he a scathing indictment on the man who marries to avoid his military responsibilities. The speech was punctuated with applause, and at the conclusion a hearty vote of thanks was carried by acclamation.

Air. Allen said he had just been to a Ivory pleasant gathering of old soldiers j and young soldiers—old men who were veterans and young men who would be veterans and he hoped the association of the young soldier would continue, for it would be to the benefit of both. He was surrounded by flags which must ; lie kept flying, flags with splendid traditions. The British Ensign was there, and they had to keep it flying. The New ZesJnnd Knsign was thore'too, and it was a flag with young but splendid tradition--?, which the men of the country were now called upon to uphold. The men who had gone to the front, or who were in camp, were doing this, 'and •they were splendidly assisted bv the women. The womta could not go into the trenches, but the women of New Zealand were doing noble work at home, and to this he n;ould say. "nil I'Oi—t't the women of New Zealand for the pari they are playing." «Thev are. doing splendid work, these women, in i providing for the comfort of our soldiers, and they can do good work in inducing the men to go and. fight for them," J added Mr. Allen. "There are some men who marry women because they think i that if ihey get married they ,vill not ! have to go and fight. Believe me, that if we introduce compulsion in New Zealand the men who marry women simply to escape their duty to their country I will not escape. I want to impress this upon you emphatically, and I want to say to girls—l hope there are none here—who might marry these men, that you should' not marry a man who is going to hide behind you, and so escape his duty. I want to sav to you young women who are going to marry men, and who want them to stay at home, to change your minds, and do it very rapidly. If a man does not think you are worth fighting for he is not worth being your husband."

OUR DUTY TO BELGIUM. Continuing, Mr. Allen said there were some fathers and mothers who had some compunction about sending their boys to the front, hut there were other mothers and fathers who had sent their boysboys who had been wounded and who became ill—and he was certain that those parents would not bring their hoys lmek for all the ffold in New Zen land. They would like to have them back. l.ut they would not have them here with the thought that they had not done their duty. Parents who kept their hoys back should try and realise what tiic future would he. for them and their boys. "We are a young country in New Zealand, but we are proud of our country,"' added Mr. Allen. "We art small but we are determined, as all Britishers are. We are determined to stand by our country, and we are determined to help the Mother Country. We know what sacrifices have been made and what troubles have been experienced '"n the terrible period through which Bel. jrinm has gone, while we live here in New Zealand in peace and comfort. We have made up out minds to restore to these people their country, and, as far as is in our power, to give them back their towyiv pleasant iiomp life, and comfort." TARANAKT'S PART,

| Proceeding. Mr. Allen said New Zeal:ilid had sent p. great many mi ll to Dip | war. . Some people might. think the voluntary prinoiplp was not. the right one, and Parliament will have to face the problem and devise what are file host means for NVw Zealand carrying out its obligations. "For every man whii falls we will put another man in his place," he added. "We have made a bargain to assist the Mother Country in carrying on the war, and we have to carry out our bargain. I know-New Zealand will do that. "We have been doing a g"-ent deal, and we will have to do a great deal more. In the past, men came forward willingly, and especially in Taranaki. So good has Taranaki been in supplying men that I have held up the province as an example to other parts of the Dominion of what they should do. In order that yon should make up your quota for the Sixteenth Reinforcements. you have to find fin men, and you have about six day? to do it in. Will von find them? Will you in New Plymouth find vour share of the quota? lam convinced that you will. 1 want to remove any doubts which the man who doubts holds about going to the front. We want every man of military age who is fit to put his name down at once."

THE DOMINION'S FORCES. Mr. Allen went on to refer to the fact that the New Zealanders had been formed into a separate Division consisting of three brigades, and touched on the proud position which it gave New Zealand to have a separate Division composed entirely of New Zealanders. Further, the .Mounted Rifles in Egypt had been formed into a brigade, and they would be attached to an Australian Division. The number of infantry in Egypt ecmprised about 21.0110 men, while there were some KOflO mounted men there. To keep this force up to strength New Zealand was bound to

send 2350 men away as reinforcements every four weeks, and it was necessary that the majority of the reinforcementa should lie infantry. ■ "I waufc to say ft word or two to the; men who have put themselves . down to go in units other than infantry," ho added. "Owing to the formation of a New Zealand i)ivisiun it becomes necessary to scud a larger percentage .of infantry and a .-»inaller percentage of .reinforcements for other units. ] want these men Tam speaking to to look at the example of the mounted men at Trontham, who | went to their Colonel in a body ami told him they were prepared to serve in any capacity which he desired. Those men 'matte a great sacrifice—they sacrificed their horses, and if these men in camp are willing to forego their training and do this, what will be said of the man who puts his name down for ambulance, artillery, etc.? We offer that man the same opportunity which we offered the mounted men—lie can go in the infantry. I also wish to say'that we ha-'e found it necessary not to allow a ni;i7i to enlist for more than six reinforcements ahead, and We want men to make up their minds now. Now is the time for a man' to commence his training. We have four separate lots of reinforcements in camp at n titan, so that we ean look four months ahead! We want the names of enough men registered for reinforcements "for six months after that, so then we can look six months ahead. Then New Zealand will be able to say that if the War lasts another ten months we have enough men to supply reinforcements for that period." j CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE. I

Mr. Allen said he wanted to sound a note of hope and confidence in the future. They would recollect th?.t Lord Kitchener said at the outbreak of the war that the struggle might last for three years. Lord kitchener said: "We ean Win this war if you supply me with the necessary number of men' and reinforcements." To-day, New Zealand had some 25,(1111) men in Egypt, and when this force was compared with the eight or nine thousand who comprised the original force, it would be Seen how essential it was to keep up a steady supply of reinforcements every four weeks. TO THE MAN AT HOME. "And now," said Mr. Allen, in conelusion, "I want to .say a word or two to the man who has not volunteered. All young men like games. You played hockey 01 football, and you were "always keen .to win the match, and you remember how it was essential for' all members of the team to do their best. There is a greater game on now, your friends from the playing fields aro there, and no man can be spared from the match to stay at home. Every man is wanted, especially those men who have 110 dependents. Wc can win the game only with our full strength. No man who can go and who refuses to go is worth being called a citizen of any country on (iod's earth. We want these fifty men from Taranaki at once, and after that wp want many more."

The Mayor (Mr. C. H. Burgess), thanked Mr. Allen for his splendid address, and for his kindness in coming to New Plymouth at such a busy time « ======