A GREAT SPEECH.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1916, Page 10

A GREAT SPEECH.

MIL HUGHES' MESSAGE TO AUSTRALIA. We give extracts from a speecli delivered by Mr. Hughes at Perth, on his return to Australia, it is good stirring reading. Mr. Hughes ha s done some unwise things, but a man who can speak as he spoke at I'erth deserve i a hearing:— THE GREAT'' ISSUE. "In this struggle," said Mr. Hughes, "the great issue is whether men shall be allowed to develop and work out their destiny as they think fit, or as some great military despotism shall decide. That is the question. The freedom that we have has come t,o us. How? liy prayer, by protestation, by lip service? .Never! It has been won by sacrifice, whether it be sacrifice on the fields of battle, martyrdom at the stake, or in a hundred and one other ways by which self-sacrifice can achieve things. Freedom is not a thing that you can measure or handle or test by any of the material standards by which men judge material things, but it is a thing without which life to us would be unendurable. (Cheers) If we are not like that it is because we have been immersed in this ease of liberty so long that we have grown, as it were, no longer to recognise what a priceless boon this liberty is to us all. (Applause). THE BEAST LET LOOSE. "Now we find that civilisation, while climbing up the slopes of progress, has

its progress arrested by a beast lot loose from barbarism. " There can be no punishment too drastic for those who have deliberately prepared this hath ot blood in which to dip humanity. (Ui"ers). I say it deliberately. One tiling 1 hope is that we may all live, to see the criminals of Germany placed in one dod;, where a tribunal armed with plenary can deal out the punishment that their crimes deserve. (Cheers). If my voice can turn the .-ealc against them it will he heard. 1. do not speak hyperbole, but speak that liieh I believe. Millions of our great friends, million:- in France, Italy and Britain are crying aloud ®to avenge the outrages perpetrated by the, enemv towards lion-fombatnnts. " Millions, I say, are crying aloud for justice, anil although the day has not yet come when they can be arrainged, we all hope that flu- day is not fill: distant. (Cheers). I'or over two years we have walked*'in the valley of the shadow of death, ami there has been no break in the clouds, ((.'beer). It is evident that our resources are right, and that Herman force is nu longer jioinir to prevail against us, for the Russian juggernaut is thundering ami crushing down on the enemy at one end, and on the other fronts the Germans are being walled round with a ring of steel. Day by day the Allies are creeping clomt and closer towards the goal. It is my belief that this struggle is likely to be long, and the. price of victory dreadful, but so certain as night follows day victory is ours, for I believe that every member of the great family of the liritish race lias resolved to do his duty to the end. In Canada, South Africa, and Britain—everywhere, in fact—the people are of the same spirit. All sorts anil conditions of men have forgotten their ancient feuds in the determination to win. Everywhere T have found myself basking in the glory of the Australian soldiers. A GREAT SPRING. "It is a great thing for this young country, without tradition and without any history, that when she first leapt into the great arena her gallant sons comported: themselves as they did. (Cheers). "I hope that in whatever else we fail we shall not fail in this, that we shall make this land of Australia as free from German influences of any kind as heaven is free from the demons of hell." (Loud cheers). Voices: That is the way to talk. "WE MUST 1)0 OUR PART." \ . . . After the war there will lie the beginning of a new and a greater era for Australia. \V'e are striding forward to our great heritage. We must develop this great continent. We must people it with man upon man. There is no community of 5,000,000 which can hold a continent capable of hohling 20,000,000 safe unless they inc.'case their numbers to be ready to defend their shores. The old life of jogging al0 „ g without any set purpose must make way for the narrower life hv which we must all endeavor to do something by organised effort for each other and for organisation. (Applause). I believe in organisation. I have seen what has been done in Britain by the power of organisation. It produced, us it were, out of nothing, one of the mightiest armies which the world has seen. It wiped out as a wet sponge from the slate a hundred and one dismal vapors which were blinding the people of Great Britain. (Cheers). It lias done great things for Britain, and great tilings for the world — (cheers) — and it will do great tilings for Australia.