AUSTRALIA'S ANSWER.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 January 1918, Page 3

AUSTRALIA'S ANSWER.

From the flaming plains to thc frigid hills. With their helmets of deathless snow. There swells a cry '•Wilt you fight?" that thrills. And thc echo answers "No." We have naught to lose and. nothing to gain In fighting x the German foe We will ;*aint no ted on the flag; but slain Tt blnck "with the answer "No''t Lean, limitless leagues ot the grim grey lands We have fought till our eyeballs burned. We have dripped our sweat on the desert sands But never a back was turned. " There's never a fence in the far Outback But has many a grave to show Of the fighters and heroes who Mazed the track i For the cravens who answer '"No!" The great red flames of the forest fire Have galloped a thousand miles. We have fought for our homes as it mounted higher, And have conquered the glowing piles; We have battled with drought and with racing flood From the hills of eternal snow. Has the fire gone cold in our Britisli blood When we answer Britain "No"? To save a woman, a child, a mate, We have galloped the great dim waste. We have prayed to God that we be not late With an agonised cry for haste. Oh. life and wife and child are dear, Pray Clod that we be not slow! Shall we ride for the Empire? The call is clear. And the answer we give is '"No!" Tied war is a-world, and its horrid maw Ts glutted with boys we knew. The sickle has cut down the flowers \il*t>. straw. > The flowers that a great land grew. They fought for us nil and died for us all, And the dead from their n TaV es en"' "Go!" " ' " ' But the heedless, heating the dead men call, Still answer a careless "No!" From the flaming plains to thc frigid hills With their helmets of deathless now. There swells a cry "Will you fight?" that' thrifts. And the echo answers "No!" We * ave naught to lose and toothing to gain Tn fighting the German foe. We will nnint no red on the flag; bnt stain ffl.lj! It i':lack with the- answer "No!" —Claude L. Jewell. The author at the foregoing verses is a South African War veteran. He Wits a member of the First Contingent and is secretary of the association, which has for its members the remnants of that gallant hand. Formerly a member of the Taranaki Daily News literary staff, he is now editor of the Observer (Auckland).