THE DEFENCE MINISTER.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 April 1918, Page 4

THE DEFENCE MINISTER.

HONORED IN CHRISTCHURCH. A HUMAN CHORD STRUCK. By Telegra'j'u—Press Association. Chrifltchnrch, Last Niglit. At a representative meeting of citizens this afternoon, an illuminated address in album form was presented to Sir James Allen, in recognition of the valuable services rendered by him to the State and Empire during the ten months he had filled the position of Acting Prime Minister. The Mayor (Mr. Holland), in making the presentation, said that during the absence of Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward, the responsibility of introducing the Military Service Act had fallen on Sir James Allen. It was certain that such an important and drastic measure should bring forth a certain amount of criticism, some of it hostile, but he was pleased to say that the hostile criticism had been very little, a state of affairs due to the able manner in which Sir James Allen had administered the Act. "To those of us who are fathers," continued Mr. Holland, "who had sons fighting for the Empire, your determination to see that they were properly reinforced and had a reasonable chance of rest, the Act appealed very strongly. Indeed, there were those who declared that you were sending too many men away, but in view of recent happenings on the Western front I question whether anyone would say that now. You have been always most courteous and kind, and in the hour of darkness that some of lis have had to suffer your sincere and fatherly sympathy has been a great help." In acknowledging the gift, Sir James Allen said he would value it all his life as a memento of one of the most troublous times that the Empire and New Zealand had had to face. Regarding the Military Service Act, he was grateful that it had shown that the people of New Zealand were sound at heart. They had made it a comparatively edsy thing for him to bring it into operation. He did not think it could have been done but, for the loyalty of the people themselves. "Wo have," said Sir James, "earned a good name, and I think we shall maintain it until the end of the war and afterwards. Our men have done nobly. The kindly note you struck, Mr. Mayor, has come nearer home than any other remark. In expressing my, sympathy with those who have lost sons atid relatives I have only expressed what I felt, and if some think I was not sympathetic, I am sorry. I have had my own loss. You have had yours. Most of us have had losses. We bear them, knowing that our sons have died noble deaths in the cause of liberty and freedom, and though we mourn and would have had it otherwise, still we have hope, we have bright hopes, that these sacrifices will not have been in vain."